Pieces of You
by pages.of.altaire
Summary: It felt like a mirror shattered. One moment you're looking at someone you hate through one piece of glass, and all of sudden there are dozens of pieces everywhere and you're just finding out that it's hard to hate someone when you know so much about them.
1. Chapter 1

It was rare for Vlad to drop by Fenton Works unannounced, so when the black limo pulled up next to Danny's strange little home on a Saturday afternoon, the young man immediately felt himself go tense.

He felt the anxious churn of his stomach when the familiar head of silver hair greeted his vision. As if sensing his glare, Vlad Masters looked up at that exact moment and made direct eye contact with him.

Vlad smirked and waved; the courteous gesture insincere in every way. Danny glared harder at the man, suppressing the urge to flip him off.

"What is he doing here?" Danny muttered under his breath, walking quietly to the door of his bedroom to get as close as possible to eavesdrop on the conversation downstairs.

There was the generic jingle of the doorbell, thundering footsteps of his dad, and then the door was swung open.

"V-Man! What are ya doin' here?!" He heard the booming voice of his dad.

"Oh? Should I assume that you're not happy to see me, Jack?" The smooth voice of Vlad Masters answered.

"Of course not, you know you're welcome any time. Maddie! Guess who's here?!" Jack bellowed into the kitchen and led their guest into the house. Their voices grew softer and Danny cursed when he couldn't make out their conversation from where he was snooping.

He huffed, not trusting his parents' machines to go ghost in the house. From this hearing distance, he heard the faint words 'conversation', 'worried', and 'way', but they weren't exactly helpful verbal cues to go off of. Urgh.

Danny shrugged his shoulders and tiptoed back to his room; he'll find out later tonight when he corners Vlad and inevitably gets him to spill his evil plan on world domination.

"Do I hear Vlad?" Jasmine whispered as she stepped into his room.

"Yeah," Danny said flatly. "The fruitloop is here. Again. Torturing us."

Jasmine sat on the bed, thinking pensively. "What do you think he wants this time?" She asked.

"Mom, or world domination. Could be either or, but preferably both," Danny shrugged from his place. "Same ol' situation every time."

Jazz shot her brother a confused look. "You don't sound very worried about this."

"Oh I am, I'm just not showing it. Calm surface, turbulent waters underneath and all that," Danny said. "Plus, the guy's like a textbook villain. If I poke him enough, he'll spill his plan sooner or later."

"Preferably sooner," Jasmine said with a frown. "I don't like the idea of Vlad sniffing around mom and dad for too long."

"Trust me, Jazz. Give me some time and I'll have him in the palm of my hand by dinner."

* * *

Danny's opportunity came when his parents got busy in the kitchen, arguing about the ramifications of serving ghostly meat. He gave Jazz a discreet look, signaling her to leave him alone with Vlad in the living room. She was reluctant but acquiesced, pretending to do work at the dining table.

Danny marched up to Vlad with all the confidence he could muster. "What are you doing here?" He said flatly.

"What manners, my dear boy," Vlad looked utterly unimpressed. "If this is what a public education has done to you, then American society is truly headed for a downward spiral."

"I'm serious, Vlad. I don't want to play games today." Danny growled. "_What_ are you doing here?"

Vlad put his hand over his heart, feigning innocence. "Can't I simply pay a visit to my beloved college friends and my godson whom I keep so dear to my heart?"

"Bullshit."

"Language, Daniel." The man looked serious that time, and Danny felt his confidence falter just a bit. It was never good to be on the receiving end of Vlad's anger.

"So, who do you have your eyes on this time? Mom? Dad? One way or another, I _will_ find out," Danny said.

"Actually, I'm here to make you an offer." Vlad rolled his eyes. "You really do take the fun out of things, don't you?"

"What?" Danny asked. He wasn't sure he heard right.

"I know you've been struggling academically as a result of your ghost powers, Daniel. So, I would like to graciously extend-"

"How do you know that? Did you set your vultures on me _again_?" Danny seethed, cutting him off mid-sentence. "I told you to stop stalking me!"

"Your grades-"

"My grades are none of your business!" Danny yelled bitingly, stepping into Vlad's personal space and staring down at him hatefully. "I mean, what is your deal?! Will you not stop until _everyone_ around you is anxious, paranoid, and miserable?!"

Vlad fell silent, giving a dead-eyed look at the furious young man before him. Unfortunately, the older man didn't seem to be intimidated in the slightest, choosing to stir his tea peacefully from his position on the couch.

Maddie popped her head in curiously. "Honey, is everything okay?" She asked, looking from her son to her (ex?) best friend.

"Quite, Maddie, my dear," Vlad smiled too cheerfully.

"I_ meant_ my son," Maddie shot back and gave Danny a worried look. "Is there a problem here, Danny?"

"No, mom, I'm fine," Danny muttered.

"Because if there is, I'd be more than happy to help you take care of _it_," Maddie insisted, giving Vlad the stink-eye.

"My dear, we were just having a spirited conversation. Daniel here is quite the passionate debater," Vlad said innocently. "And I'm sure Daniel is more than capable of holding his own in a difficult situation. You've raised such a _well-adjusted_ young man, after all."

Danny silently fumed at the subtle dig.

"Well, I'll just be in the next room if you need anything, dear," Maddie smiled at her son before leaving the two alone.

The tension in the room was palpable.

"Are you quite finished with your tantrum?" Vlad asked calmly, folding his hands neatly on his lap.

"I'll be finished when you stop steamrolling your way into my life to do whatever you want, fruitloop," Danny gritted out.

Vlad barked out with laughter. "You should know better than anyone that I always get my way, so why put up the fight to deny me now?"

"To knock you down a peg and remind you that you _shouldn't_ always get what you want," Danny retorted.

Vlad stared at Danny contemplatively. "What if what I want closely aligns with what you want?" He said slowly, every word resonating within Danny like some foreboding force.

Danny, however, wouldn't let himself get thrown for a loop. "You're too much of a narcissist to care about what I want," he said resolutely, crossing his arms defiantly.

"Oh?" Vlad said, looking way too pleased. "Then I suppose the aerospace engineering program at the University of Michigan is of no interest to you?"

Danny stared at the man, torn between anger and complete disbelief. "...How do you know about _that_?" He gaped. "Seriously, do you have a bug on this house or something?"

"Nonsense, my dear boy. I'm quite capable of eliciting information through the art of conversation," Vlad said and rolled his eyes. "Although I'm impressed that your parents even have the slightest clue with what you want to do with your life."

"Don't talk crap about mom and dad."

"Of course, you're so very protective," Vlad continued, smiling ruefully down at his tea. "Even though their ghost obsession has almost cost you your life more times you could possibly count. Quite honestly, I'm surprised at my friends' obtuseness. Jack may be a lost cause, but I truly expected more from Maddie when it came to your well-being. Tell me, do they know who, or better yet, _what_ you are?"

They were wading into dangerous territory. "Vlad..."

"I guess not. Ironic that they still haven't figured it out, isn't it? But with all your _nightly vigilantism_ going on, your grades have certainly seen better days. Shame if mom and dad were to find out that you're barely passing history and biology, at the expense of your own _safety_ too."

This was checkmate, and Danny knew it. While his ghost half wouldn't be a deal-breaker with his parents, his ghostly crime-fighting tendencies certainly would be. If mom were to find out, it'll be house arrest until graduation day.

Danny shuddered; he didn't want to give up his freedom like_ that_. "Name your price," he said harshly.

"It's very simple. You aim high for your dreams, little badger. University of Michigan is a good school with strong engineering programs. But if you want that acceptance letter, your academic performance needs to be better. _Miles_ better than what it is currently." Vlad said firmly. "I can help you by putting you on the right track. If you follow my guidance to the letter, you may just see graduation and a sparkling college acceptance."

This kind of opportunity didn't come by often, Danny knew this. But it didn't stop him from digging in his heels. "I mean, Jazz-"

"-is brilliant, yes, but she's much too pre-occupied with her Ivy League dreams to offer any time to you."

"Mr. Lancer-"

"-has a horde of other D-grade idiots to worry about. Frankly, I should be insulted that I have to put in this much mental effort to convince you to let me help you," Vlad frowned. "Do you _want_ to be stuck here forever with no future prospects?"

Danny was silent for moment. "How can I trust you?" He said quietly.

The question hung in the air and both sides could feel the weight of it. Vlad knew a degree of honesty was required here; whether he liked it or not, he would have to lay down a few of his cards.

"You're right, you can't." Vlad conceded. "But you need more help than what you're getting at the moment."

Danny bit his lip nervously.

"However, if you're willing to go against your gut to work with me this time, then perhaps it's only fair for me to give up something in return," Vlad said carefully. "So, name your price, Daniel."

"...Stop trying to break my family apart," Danny said. "I'm serious, Vlad. If you want to be friends with my parents, you have to stop with all this creepy stuff."

"Go on."

"I want to do this the right way. From pulling my grades up to college applications and interviews, I want to go through the proper channels just like everybody else. So, no overshadowing teachers or college admissions professors," Danny added. "If we do this, you have to take into account what I want."

If Vlad felt any type of way toward those conditions, he certainly didn't show it. "You have a deal, little badger," he said, reaching out his hand for a handshake.

Danny stared at Vlad's hand before grasping it with his own to seal the deal. Vlad's palm was warm and dry, rough with callouses and firm. Danny tightened his grip and cursed his spindly frame. Physical assertion or not, he just wasn't intimidating enough for Vlad to feel threatened.

Vlad smiled slowly, his eyes twinkling with something close to amusement as Danny tried to squeeze the life out of his hand. It was like he could read the boy's thoughts. All of Danny's insecurities lay opened before the man like words on a page.

Danny felt like punching him.

Later that night, Jazz looked over at Danny across the dining table. He was picking at his food with an introspective look, thinking very hard on something but finding no solution. She tried to catch his attention a couple of times during the meal, but the boy just shrugged and grunted into his peas. As a teenager, Jazz knew all too well what that meant.

But the weirdest thing was when Vlad leaned over to whisper something in Danny's ear, her brother didn't pull away with annoyance or roll his eyes like he usually did. Instead Danny seemed resigned, talking to Vlad in hushed tones and carrying himself with a degree of seriousness that she didn't know her own brother possessed.

Jasmine really didn't know what to make of that, but she couldn't help but think that it was Vlad who has Danny in the palm of his hand this time.

* * *

To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

"You sure you have time for this? We can reschedule if you want to," Danny frowned and angled the laptop screen. Vlad's office chair came into view along with part of his desk, which was covered in paperwork. The older man was somewhere out of frame, making himself a much-needed espresso.

"Nonsense, this way I can get my work done and help you at the same time." Vlad's voice floated through the speakers as he sat back down, espresso cup in hand.

"I don't understand how you can just drink those things. They don't even taste good," Danny said and made a face.

"That's because you have no palate," Vlad countered.

"No, I'm just not pretentious," Danny smirked. "I don't need animal poop-processed coffee that's been imported from some fancy place in the Arabian desert."

"Coffee doesn't come from the desert."

"You're literally drinking turds, fruitloop ."

"And this _isn't_ processed from any animal, you _uncultured plebeian_, " Vlad snapped, unable to suppress his annoyance.

"Am I getting to you?" Danny laughed, tickled pink by the older man's indignation.

"Hardly." Vlad muttered sarcastically. "Now turn to page three hundred and ninety-four."

In all fairness, being tutored by Vlad was actually quite enjoyable. Danny knew himself well enough to know that he wasn't the brightest when it came to subjects like history, but Vlad was patient and took it all in stride. They were going over the Cold War, one of Vlad's favorite historical events, and Danny was impressed with Vlad's breadth of knowledge in this area. It was quite a shame the man didn't go into teaching; he was actually quite engaging to listen to.

They were going over the contributions of JFK when Danny suddenly felt a chill down his spine and exhaled a puff of cold air.

There was a ghost near.

Danny slammed his book shut. " Gonna need to bail on our study session, Vlad, there's a ghost nearby," he said, getting out of his chair.

"Park your butt down, young man. You're not going anywhere," Vlad said.

"...Huh?"

"Your history exam is tomorrow," Vlad continued. "I'm assuming you want to pass?"

Danny stood there, frozen but unwilling to obey. "You know I could just ignore you, right? You're literally just a bunch of pixels on my laptop screen," he said, frowning.

Vlad smiled toothily, his fangs popping out as a threat. "Try your luck, little badger. See what happens."

Despite his rebellious streak, Danny shuddered. Vlad wasn't the best at keeping promises, but he always made good on his threats. It wasn't something that Danny wanted to even think about; he still had some ghastly bruises from the last time they fought.

"Well, I'm not gonna just do nothing, fruitloop. So you better have a game plan," Danny retorted.

Vlad looked like the cat that just swallowed the canary. "You should have more faith in me, little badger. I would never leave you hanging. Take a look outside," he said.

Danny didn't need to be told twice. He ran to his bedroom window and pressed his nose against the glass, only to drop his jaw in shock at what went on outside.

Maddie and Jack Fenton were up in a hot rage, brandishing shiny new weapons at the lunch lady ghost. His mom was screaming bloody murder with a long-range cannon blaster hoisted on her shoulder, and his dad was shamelessly ogling at her (ew) with hearts in his eyes while running around with no sense of direction.

"You gave my parents new tech?" Danny gawked as his dad swung at the ghost with something that looked like electric ghost-proof netting. "Dude, are you _trying_ to get me killed?"

"Nonsense, none of my weapons are _actually_ designed to maim-"

"There's electric currents coming off of that thing!"

"-well, if I don't raise the stakes then how will I keep you on your toes?" Vlad said, looking pleased with himself.

Danny just stared at him through the screen, speechless. "Dude, you are seriously one _crazed_ fruitloop," he said.

"Don't call me that."

* * *

"Mr. Fenton, well done," Lancer smiled as he handed Danny his graded test. "I expect more performances of this caliber from you in the future."

Danny unfolded his test eagerly to look at his grade. A red _95%_ stared back at him, and he refrained himself from freaking out right there and then. Wait until Vlad sees _this. Ha!_ Not so dumb now, are we?

He pulled his phone out to text his weird tutor/nemesis as class was dismissed, only to freeze mid-finger stroke on the touchscreen. Why was he so excited to show Vlad? Sure, he was thankful, but there was no explanation for him to start acting like some eager-to-please puppy dog.

Danny blushed and aggressively shoved the test away into his messenger bag.

* * *

"Actually, this is not that difficult," Danny mused as he did another calculus practice problem. "I think I'm getting the hang of limits of a function."

"Surprising how much you can achieve by just being patient with yourself, isn't it?" Vlad smiled, pouring over Danny's finished work. "You got almost every question right on this one, little badger."

Danny felt a streak of perfectionism run through him. "What did I get wrong?" He asked.

"I think the concept of finding the area under the curve is still something that alludes you," Vlad answered.

"Damn," Danny sighed. "Integrals aren't my strong suit."

"Language," Vlad admonished. "There's still time until your next test. We'll get it right."

"Thanks, fruitloop ."

"Don't call me that."

* * *

"If you didn't know exactly what's in it, why would you pour isopropanol directly into it?!"

"It's not like it's rocket science, _fruitloop_. It's just goopy ghost DNA!"

"That's not the point, Daniel! The constitution is different from humans, even if it _is_ DNA. You could have compromised its-"

"Oh _whatever_, I purified it. See?"

"..."

"_Well?_"

"Yes, well done. Through sheer dumb luck!"

"Pfft. Fruitloop."

"_Don't_ call me that!"

* * *

"Hey, Vlad?" Danny said as he walked towards the other man, inspecting something in his hand. "Why do you have _The Phantom Tollbooth_?"

Vlad whipped around and eyed the small worn paperback in Danny's hands. It was dusty from its long residence in the older man's library, its book spine bent and flexible from years of eager page-turning.

"I'd forgotten about that," Vlad muttered and reached for it, his fingers brushing dust away from the cover.

"You seemed to love it a lot, if the dog-eared pages are anything to go by," Danny smiled. "I didn't know you were a huge softie."

"Tread carefully, young man, or I'll be forced to make you regret your words," Vlad said. "Although I admit it has been a while. I remember reading this all the time in my youth."

"Oh? You snuck out of bed often to read by the candlelight?" Danny teased.

"Ha ha, Daniel, how amusing," Vlad said dryly. "Your endless jokes about my age have lost its flavor by now, don't you think?"

"Not as long as it keeps bothering you," Danny said cheekily, flopping down on the couch.

Vlad scoffed and flipped through the book casually. "This is actually where I got my idea," he said, nostalgia evident in his voice.

Danny leaned forward with interest. "The idea for what?"

"For a portal into another realm."

"Don't tell me you tried to build your own tollbooth into the Lands Beyond when you were little, Vlad, because that's just sad," Danny said jokingly.

Vlad stared at him silently.

"Oh my god, you didn't."

"A man's imagination can often be the only company he really needs," Vlad said defensively. "Excuse _me_ for exercising mine."

"Yeah, that's what antisocial people say when they can't make friends," Danny said in a deadpan tone.

Vlad's eye twitched in agitation. "Oh? I'm sure you must have spent_ countless_ hours with your friends being productive then, " he snapped.

"Well, yeah," Danny said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "We competed to see who can stuff the most marshmallows in our mouths. Tucker got to thirty-five before he choked and-"

"Spare me the details."

The young man grinned. "I'm just saying, Vlad, there must have been _someone_ that you just did silly stuff with growing up," he prodded, leaning his chin on his hand.

"Silly? No," Vlad mused. "Not if you count being the unwilling guinea pig of Jack's numerous failed experiments as _silly_."

Danny threw him an incredulous look. "Why would you_ ever_ put yourself in that situation? My dad's experiments are horrendously volatile."

"You don't have to tell me," Vlad recalled and scrunched up his nose. "Aside from the ghost powers, I had my hair accidentally bleached quite a few times from his experiments. Pretty sure I almost got blinded once..."

"Jeez, fruitloop, now I'm beginning to realize why you're like this," Danny said. "Maybe it's all the chemical poisoning in your brain."

"I believe _that_ is the pot calling the kettle black." Vlad said dryly. "Especially considering we suffered the same fate from your parent's experiments, little badger."

"Touché," Danny conceded. "But you still didn't answer my question. I mean, you didn't meet mom and dad until college, so wasn't there anyone else you were close to?"

"I really don't know what to tell you, Daniel," Vlad confessed. "I had a very quiet childhood where I had nothing but time to do whatever I wanted. I chose to spend that time perusing books and tinkering with chemistry sets, which eventually turned into a passion for the paranormal."

Daniel looked dubious. "Don't know about you, but that kinda sounds lonely, Vlad," he said.

Vlad shrugged. "Perhaps, but to everyone else I was just another oddity who preferred the company of his own over-active imagination," he said.

"And now you're just an oddity who prefers the company of dead people and your weird half-ghost-slash-nemesis-slash-tutee," Danny grinned and glanced at his watch. Damn, time to go.

"I guess life just deals very strange cards sometimes," Vlad said in agreement .

"You would know, _you_ dealt the cards this time," Danny laughed and got out of his seat. "It's okay, fruitloop, I'll make sure to bother you so much that you'll get sick of me someday," he said.

"Is that a challenge?" Vlad laughed. "I am nothing if not patient, little badger."

Danny's lips twitched into a smile as he shouldered his backpack. With a flash of light, he transformed into Phantom and floated towards the ceiling.

He paused and turned around. "So the idea behind the ghost portal and the actual ghost zone..."

"Yes, Daniel," Vlad smiled and waved the little paperback in his hand. "_The Lands Beyond._"

Danny stared at the man, not sure if he should be impressed by his genius or amused by the fact that he got the idea from a children's book. "You're a clever man, fruitloop," Danny shook his head before disappearing in a rush of wind.

_"Don't call me that!"_


	3. Chapter 3

"You're _still_ going to him for _what_?" Sam spat out, blocking Danny's path to his next class.

Danny sighed and stared at the ceiling tiredly. People all around them were whispering and snickering with their friends, thinking that this was some lover's quarrel. "Sam, can you please not make a scene here in the hallway?" He begged.

"Not until you tell me what have you been up to with him," Sam barked.

Tucker glanced around nervously. "Uh, guys? Let's move this somewhere, you know, where there's more _privacy._"

"No, you know what? Let's do this here," Danny said and stood his ground. "Because I'm tired of you badgering me, Sam. How long is this gonna go on?"

"Why don't you tell me, Danny, since you're the one with the playbook of _all_ the rules," Sam said, visibly emotional.

Danny let out a deep breath. He knew he needed to stay calm whenever Sam got riled up like this. "I know you have grievances with Vlad, but whatever he's doing...it's working. I'm up to a B average right now. I used to be a C- student, Sam. I almost_ failed_ history, remember that? Now I'm finally doing well," he said. "I thought you'd be happy for me."

"That's-It's not-That's not even the point!" Sam cried. "What about the town? There were three ghost attacks last week and you didn't even show up!"

"It got handled, didn't it?!" Danny roared. "My parents finally got to flex their muscles, and they had Valerie with them! It's not like Vlad left them to fend for themselves. He gave them better equipment, didn't he?"

"Exactly!" Sam said, looking triumphant. "How do you know this isn't some long con that Vlad came up with to make you think that he's on your side when he's really consorting with your enemies?!"

Danny's temper flared up some more. "Excuse me, that's my _mom and dad_ you're talking about."

"Danny, get _real_. Your mom and dad don't know what the hell you are, and Valerie _hates_ Phantom," Sam said. Tucker winced at the harsh words and rubbed his elbow awkwardly. "Maybe this isn't about helping you at all! Maybe Vlad's just waiting for an opportunity to lower your defenses and tear you down!"

Danny stared at Sam incredulously, not knowing what to say and which one of her paranoid theories should he start another argument over. This punch to the gut felt so familiar that Danny didn't even know why he was surprised anymore; after all, Sam Manson always did whatever it took to win. Even if it meant throwing Danny's trust issues back in his face.

But the worst part, the part that clawed at Danny's heart like a festering wound, was that he didn't have the confidence to tell Sam she was _wrong_.

"You know what, Sam? That was a low blow," Danny said, but then laughed bitterly and shook his head. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked outside. Down the steps of the school. Past the students lounging on the lawn. Out the school gates and away from it all.

* * *

"In_ The Awakening_, Edna searches for her sense of self, without realizing the cost of her search must always be paid out of pocket by the people around her," Vlad read out loud, walking slowly around the library in his own home. "Bold statement, little badger."

Danny shrugged when Vlad looked at him in amusement.

"In her desperation to assert herself, Edna completely turns her nose up at the circumstances she surrounded herself in," Vlad continued. "Her unwillingness to understand and adapt, and her total disregard for her loved ones, unveil a person who is not only_ selfish_ but also _self-righteous_ in the execution of her choices."

"This sounds oddly personal, little badger," Vlad took his reading glasses off. "I've never seen you attack a character like this with such viciousness. I quite like it."

Danny smiled grimly. "Well, the book pissed me off. It's not like Edna tried very hard to understand what went on around her anyways, I don't see why anyone had to meet _her_ halfway," he said a little too bitingly.

Vlad paused and looked at Danny for a moment. "Did something happen today?" He asked, settling into the comfy armchair across from the kid.

"Well...I ditched all my afternoon classes today," Danny said. He looked up at Vlad accusatorily. "But you probably knew that from your spycams."

"I didn't, actually," Vlad said and leaned back in his chair. "Our deal was that if we were to do this, I'd have to take into account what you want, remember? You requested privacy, and so I obliged."

Daniel looked down and kicked the carpet, feeling relieved and a little embarrassed for being wrong.

"Why did you walk out of school, Daniel?"

The young man made a frustrated noise and gestured vaguely with his hand. "I dunno? Maybe this whole tutoring thing has caused a rift between me and my friends? They don't trust you, they don't trust you _with me_, and now they don't trust_ me_ when I'm with you. I dunno, it's just annoying."

"Like, I'm doing well in my classes, you know?" Danny continued heatedly. "You'd think they'd be happy for me and they can't even let me have this_ one thing_! The one thing that's going right in my life right now, and I can't even_ begin_ to explain it because it's with _you_!"

Vlad stared at the young man silently, and for once didn't even correct his language.

"And Sam, _ha, fucking Sam_," Danny laughed and ran his hand through his hair roughly. "She never lets me forget it, does she? What I am, and how I lied to my parents about it, and the thousands of lies to keep the first lie...what a shitshow, honestly."

Vlad let the silence consume the room, watching the young man before him slump down into a chair and deflate. Now that he really looked at him, Danny always seemed exhausted. The bags under his eyes looked like they always belonged there, and the boy really was too thin for his age. The clothes hung unflatteringly on his wiry frame, and the converses on his feet could do more with proper care.

But underneath the physical exhaustion, the boy's eyes burned like fiery blue flames, and Vlad felt himself unwilling to look away.

"Why _won't_ you tell your parents that you're half-ghost?" Vlad verbally prodded. "That always perplexed me. It seems like the simplest solution to all of this, and yet you won't do it."

Danny shot him a look. "It's not really their business," he mumbled, crossing his arms uncomfortably.

"I would disagree. Your well-being is very much their business."

"Look, you know what my parents do for a living. It's not that I'm afraid of their disapproval, I'm actually more afraid of their morbid fascination," Danny said.

Vlad hummed thoughtfully. "Are you afraid that they will hurt you?"

Silence.

Vlad frowned, the sad truth dawning on him. "Daniel..."

"It-It's complicated," Danny rushed to explain. "I am and I'm not. It's hard enough to get mom and dad to pay attention to me, and I'd rather it's not for _this_. Besides, both Jazz and I practically raised ourselves, and we're used to being under the radar. If they find out about this, I honestly don't know if they could resist-"

"-And on some level, you don't fully trust them." Vlad finished for him.

Danny grimaced at the depressing thought, but couldn't find it in himself to disagree.

"Not an easy decision, I'm sure," Vlad said comfortingly. "And it would be hypocritical of me to persuade you otherwise, especially since I share similar fears. Fortunately, you have a support system you _can_ trust."

"I thought I did."

"Oh, but you do," Vlad said with a smile. "Ms. Manson has a sharp tongue, it's true, but she has stuck by you through thick and thin. Mr. Foley has a jealous streak a mile wide, but he always came through for you in the end. As infuriating as it is, I'm sure we can both agree, Daniel, that there is nothing you wouldn't do for your companions."

Danny couldn't keep the annoyance out of his voice. "If that's the case then they should just trust me and not give me this crappy attitude. Is giving me the benefit of the doubt, or just_ some level_ of understanding, really reaching for the stars?" He ranted.

"My boy, it is precisely _because_ they trust you that they are willing to expose their lesser qualities and give you a hard time. You may not know it, but you are the glue in this friendship, Daniel. However, Ms. Manson and Mr. Foley_ do_ know it, and they don't want to lose you," Vlad said.

"Well, I can tell you right now that being the glue isn't as glamorous as you make it sound, fruitloop," Danny muttered.

"Things that come too easy are not worth fighting for," Vlad said sagely. "Sometimes you are challenged to prove if you are worthy. Take it from someone who knows."

Danny looked doubtful. "I don't want to be _that_ guy, Vlad, but don't you think all these moments you search for are all just losing battles?"

"Perhaps," Vlad said softly and grinned, intense emotion burning in his eyes. "Or perhaps my moment to prove myself has just begun."

Danny felt a sudden heightened sense of awareness. Vlad was talking about him. He was _definitely_ talking about him. He felt his skin flush at the intensity of Vlad's gaze, unable to maintain eye contact but not wanting to lose either.

Danny settled on flickering glances, alternating between Vlad's gaze and the book shelves along the wall behind him. Vlad smirked at the boy's discomfort, clearly enjoying himself at seeing Danny squirm. A few more seconds, Vlad thought to himself. Danny looked quite endearing when flustered.

"In any case, I digress. Regarding your conundrum, the real question here remains: do you trust your friends?" Vlad asked instead, mercifully changing the subject.

Danny felt himself nod dumbly. Once. Twice.

"Then it's only logical for you to fight for that trust, Daniel."

* * *

Sam still wasn't talking to him.

Danny felt his mood darken just a little more whenever Sam pulled more of her shit like walking past him like he didn't exist, talking only to Tucker like Danny wasn't even _there_, and just generally being crappy and treating him like he was invisible. Like he was a _ghost_.

Danny muttered words of resentment under his breath. She was taking this too far, and he doesn't know how much more of this he could bear.

_It's only logical for you to fight for that trust, Daniel._

Danny sighed at the mental recording of Vlad's advice. Honestly, he knew what he had to do. Reach out to Sam and initiate the conversation. Keep your cool. Lay down your terms. Listen attentively. Be the mature adult. It was all so simple and straightforward.

But every time Sam looked over from her desk and gave him_ that look_, that look where no amount of explaining was ever going to change the mind of the person who gave you that look. _That look_ where 'everything is your fault and not mine and therefore you should take full responsibility'. _That look_ that made your words die on your tongue as your temper combusts with rage.

_Fuuuuckkkk_...being the bigger person is so hard.

When Lancer passed back their graded pop quizzes, Danny felt the urge to set his on fire.

_60%_. Motherfuc- Vlad was so gonna hear about this.

* * *

Or perhaps not.

Danny stared groggily at the text on his screen, coaxing himself awake.

_Daniel, I will be unavailable this week due to impromptu travel plans. I apologize for the short notice._

He yawned and sluggishly texted back a _'no problem...safe travels'_ before dragging his butt to the closet.

Damn. That was sucky timing, Danny thought to himself as he browsed his options. He has English for last period today, his least favorite subject, and was kind of looking forward to seeing Vlad in the evening to chat and de-stress.

Danny paused at the train of thought. Vlad. De-stress. _Looking forward to seeing him?_

He shook his head and mumbled. "Wow, definitely not getting enough sleep nowadays."

Rummaging around the floor, Danny picked up a random shirt and sniffed it. Hm, clean enough. He put it on and tugged at the hem to stretch out the wrinkles. He looked at himself critically in the full-body mirror, a hand-me-down from Jazz with faded stickers and a weird crack down on one side. He really did look weird for a sixteen-year-old, bony elbows and spindly limbs like a newborn deer. Easy pickings for bullies. It almost seemed ironic, sometimes, that the safety of Amity Park rested on his small shoulders.

Danny shrugged and phased through his bedroom wall and into the hallway. He could hear the faint pitter patter of his sister's feet against the hardwood floor, and Danny smirked before bolting for the bathroom. Jazz definitely heard him, because her pace suddenly quickened. Before they knew it, they were racing down the hall for the toilet.

Danny got there first.

"Danny, it's my turn. I called it!" Jazz cried from the other side and slammed her hands against the door.

"Yeah, but I'm so much faster!" Danny cackled and set the lock in place. He may not win any beauty contests, but nothing was going to stop him from taking his time in the bathroom_ just_ to get on Jazz's nerves. Oh, sweet petty sibling rivalry.

Danny turned on the electric razor.

"Are you kidding me, Danny?! You have like, three pubic hairs!"

* * *

Morning classes passed by in a blur, leaving Danny hungry and dazed as he walked over to the cafeteria. Mystery meat was on the menu again, but Danny was too out of it to make any snide comments on its texture and strange gooey consistency.

Taking his lunch outside with him, Danny walked to an empty table and sat down. From the corner of his eye, Danny saw Sam sitting in the shade of an old oak tree, stabbing at her peas with such ferocity that made him nervous. Tucker was nowhere to be found, most likely preferring the lowkey company of his new friends from the computer club.

Danny sighed and looked down at his lunch. It really bites to not have friends to eat with.

A shadow came over him and Danny fought the urge to sigh. It was probably Dash and his groupie again, coming over to make fun of him for things he didn't have. The right body. Letterman jackets. The right face. Girlfriend to go with the letterman jacket.

Did he mention how much they loved their letterman jackets?

Danny looked up apprehensively, only to see Tucker standing there awkwardly with his lunch tray.

"Hey," Danny greeted, his tone neutral to hide his surprise.

"Hey, man." Tucker said hesitantly. "Mind if I sit?"

"Sure, up to you."

Tucker sat down quickly, tucking his legs neatly under the bench seat. Neither of them dared to look over at Sam for her reaction.

Danny started talking first. "I'm guessing Sam isn't gonna join us anytime soon."

"I think it's going to take some time for her to come around," Tucker answered, picking at his peas.

Danny nodded in agreement. "And how are_ you_ taking this?" He asked instead.

Tucker frowned, looking every bit as uncomfortable as Danny. He wasn't really ready to talk about this so soon, but maybe he was naïve for hoping that things could just turn back to normal if he came over and sat with Danny again.

"C'mon, we can't just not talk about the elephant in the room," Danny chuckled nervously. "Might as well rip the band-aid off."

Tucker sighed resolutely. "Honestly? I don't know," he said. "I _don't_ trust him, Danny. The guy's done more bad than good and thrives off of his power lust. And he dresses like a Disney villain."

Danny snorted in amusement.

"_But_," Tucker continued, looking disgruntled. "I trust that if anyone knows Vlad, it's probably you."

Danny stared at his friend in anticipation. He could feel Tucker holding back on him. "_...But?_" He prodded.

Tucker pushed his lunch aside. He didn't feel like eating anymore. "We've been friends for a long time, Danny," he started. "I'd like to think that you know me pretty well, like how I'm terrible at riddles, and how I had a brief crush on Sam back in fifth grade, and how _insanely_ jealous I still am of your ghost powers."

Danny frowned. "Tucker..."

"My jealousy has always been a problem between us," Tucker said. "You know it has, Danny. It's why I was so easily tempted by Désirée even though any idiot could tell she was bad news. But for that brief moment when I had what you had, I felt as if...as if gravity doesn't apply to me anymore. The world didn't matter. Who I am didn't matter. It was just this feeling of _power_. It was all I could focus on."

Danny nodded in understanding.

"All I could think about was, 'holy shit, no wonder Danny didn't want to share this', but that was stupid because it wasn't like you could transfer your powers over or something," Tucker argued. "But the power made me_ feel_ like I was in control, like I was chosen or had a say. It's probably why I was so resentful of you even though there wasn't anything you could've done."

"Tucker, for me it wasn't a choice though," Danny said. "It could've been anybody in that portal that day. I just happened to step in first."

"I know that!" Tucker exclaimed. "That's what I mean though. No matter how powerful you got, you never removed yourself from us. You always had this clear sense of grounding reality that I never grasped when I was in your shoes."

"Then what is exactly the issue here?" Danny pressed. "Vlad or not, you know I'm not gonna go rogue on you. Why can't everything just go back to normal?"

Tucker shrugged helplessly, grasping for the right words. "I can't explain it, it's like I _know_ this thing about you, but I'm never going to _understand_ it the way you do. But, as much as I don't want to admit it, Vlad will always understand you a little bit more than me and there's nothing I can do about that."

"Tucker, you're one of my best friends. No one can take that away from you, not even Vlad." Danny said firmly.

"I know that too, because I trust you." Tucker said with a sad smile. "But you can't honestly tell me that you two don't have anything in common, that you don't look forward to talking to him, and that time spent with him is not _enjoyable_."

Danny fell silent.

"That's what I'm afraid of, Danny," Tucker said. "Vlad is power, and power corrupts absolutely by promising the sweetest things."

* * *

To be continued...


	4. Chapter 4

Vlad came back on a Saturday night, his exhaustion compounded by the long flight and the jetlag.

He sighed and flopped gracelessly onto the couch, yanking his tie loose and unbuttoning his cuffs. It's probably a good idea to hydrate, Vlad thought distantly, but found it difficult to motivate himself to get up. His head still ached from the pressurized cabins on the plane, and it was moments like this that Vlad _really_ felt all forty-two years of his age.

Nothing about the work trip seemed out of the ordinary. He was the 'cut to the chase' type of businessman and didn't like to waste time with meaningless conversation. Aside from a few suspicious clauses in the merger deal that the company tried to sneak by him (how cliché), and several intense hours of thinly-veiled threats and negotiations, Vlad felt satisfied with the (huge) piece of the pie he acquired.

Vlad contemplated on giving Danny a call, but decided against it when he realized it was past midnight. Instead, he whipped out his phone and fired off a brief text to the boy to let him know that he was back.

_I've returned home. I hope your week went well, little badger. _

Vlad slipped off his tie as he migrated to the master bedroom.

_Welcome back...how was your trip? _

He draped his jacket sloppily over the bed frame.

_Unremarkable. _

The light in the bathroom was blinding. Vlad adjusted it with the dimmer switch.

_Lol...only you would describe a trip to Paris as unremarkable, fruitloop _

His examined his eyes in the mirror. They were slightly bloodshot and pink from sleeplessness.

_Work and leisure are two different things, little badger. _

Vlad sighed and pulled the ribbon out of his hair, wincing as it pulled on stray knots.

_Oh? Even for you? __who knew even Vlad Masters is capable of enjoying himself..._

Vlad chuckled and turned on the shower, stepping in and sighing at the feeling of hot water running over sore muscles.

_Keep making fun, and I guess you won't be needing the souvenir I bought for you. _

Strands of his hair blended together under the water like a silver waterfall.

_You didn't have to do that... _

He smirked and let the water trickle down his face. It felt good to be back home and talk to the person he wanted to talk to.

_So quick to deny my goodwill, little badger. You don't even know what it is yet. _

Shampoo soap bubbles slithered down Vlad's body before swirling around and into the drain.

_No really, I mean...you really dont have to go out of your way to pamper me. Tutoring me is already a lot. _

Vlad stood under the shower for another minute or two before turning off the water. Now where's that towel?

_You must be very easy to please, Daniel, if a gift is all it takes to make you feel pampered. _

He walked casually back into the bedroom with the towel wrapped around his hips.

_Yeah I know but I just don't want to owe you anything more than I already do... _

Vlad paused and stared at the message. Something was off. Barely two weeks ago, Danny was waltzing in and out of his home, completely unaware of what was his and what wasn't; the boy used the library as his private study, and Vlad's private study as the common room! For god's sake, he even put his shoes on the beautiful vintage chaises without feeling an ounce of guilt! Somewhere down the line, Vlad learned to appreciate and even depend on Danny's easy familiarity with him; the brat's fiery and somewhat insolent nature has become a constant in his routine now and Vlad liked it a lot more than he was willing to admit.

This Danny was unsure and unfamiliar, and Vlad appreciated it a lot less.

_Is everything alright? Did I cross a line here? _He typed back instead. The response was quick.

_No no, you did nothing wrong! I'm fine I just don't want you to keep going out of your way for nothing. _

The man had a strange feeling that Danny was sidestepping real issues with him, but it was way too late into the night to get into a conversation about that now. Instead Vlad settled for a short reassuring text and hoped for the best.

_I assure you that it was no trouble at all. In any case, you should get some sleep now. It's past midnight._

Vlad waited for another stammering apology to come through about not wanting to trouble him, but decided this unfortunate exchange was over. He was exhausted, and hoped that this was all part of his delirious imagination. Tomorrow he would wake up and realize that he overreacted, and everything would go back to normal.

_Goodnight, Daniel. _

He didn't get a response back.

* * *

Danny knew he was acting weird.

He felt Vlad's eyes on him the moment he walked into his study, awkward and nervous. He had talked circles around him and then shut down the conversation three minutes in, confounding the hell out of the man. It was completely unlike him, he knew, and Vlad was far from an idiot.

Truth was, ever since the conversation with Tucker, Danny felt unsure of himself. Everything Vlad did made Danny second guess his intentions, and his usual behavior around the man now made him feel on edge. Nothing felt right, and it was frustrating that he couldn't trust his instincts like he used to.

But perhaps the fault wasn't with Vlad, nor was it with Tucker or Sam, but with himself.

He really should be used to the fact by now that nothing in his life was meant to be black and white, but even so, Danny still tried to understand his world as such. Tucker and Sam were his friends – good. Mom, dad, and Jazz, while not perfect, always did their best for the family – good. Ghosts that terrorized Amity Park – bad...unless it's the Box Ghost, who deserved his own weird little box in the corner of Danny's mind. But Vlad?

Danny always took the man so seriously, so _personally_, that he refused to fit comfortably into either category. Villain or ally, Vlad was both. A contradiction. A piece of Danny's vulnerability.

Did he want to doubt the man? In his heart of hearts, Danny knew he didn't want to.

_Should_ he? That was another question entirely.

He looked up to see Vlad reading peacefully in his chair, dressed casually with his hair down for the day. Vlad's reading glasses perched delicately on his nose as his navy-blue eyes flew across the page effortlessly. A picture of serenity.

_You can't honestly tell me that you two don't have anything in common, that you don't look forward to talking to him, and that time spent with him is not enjoyable._

But would that be so terrible?

It would certainly be preferable to what they have now, Danny thought and paused with his pen on the paper. The camaraderie he shared with Vlad had dissolved into an uncomfortable stalemate, and where there used to be playful banter was now fully replaced with tedious but safe conversations about calculus concepts and college application game plans.

_Vlad is power, and power corrupts absolutely._

When Tucker warned him about the consequences, he certainly didn't mention that keeping Vlad at arm's length only condemned them to tolerate each other's company in stony silence. Every moment was a false reflection of their relationship. Every moment was _insufferable_.

As if reading his mind, Vlad quietly put his book down and removed his glasses to address the elephant in the room.

"Are you angry with me?"

Crap.

Danny felt his heart drop. He looked up from his chemistry worksheet. "Hm? No, why would you think that?" He smiled wide. It felt forced.

Vlad frowned. "Daniel, don't be evasive and just tell me what it is I did wrong," he said with a sigh. "Give me a chance to fix the problem."

Danny could feel his palms sweating. "It's really nothing, Vlad. You're overthinking it," he lied through his teeth, a fake grin plastered to his face.

Vlad's frown stayed put as he continued to stare Danny down. The boy really was stubborn, he thought to himself. Getting Danny to open up and be vulnerable wasn't easy on a good day, but with some coaxing it was possible. But now it just seemed like Danny was actively stonewalling him, and Vlad didn't take rejection well.

Perhaps he should try the soft approach.

"You never told me if you liked the gift," Vlad said slowly, swiftly changing tactics to gauge the boy's reaction.

"Yeah...it was really nice," Danny said dismissively and refused to look up at him, choosing to scribble away at his homework. "Thanks for the telescope. I really liked it."

"Hm. Good." So much for that.

Vlad took a deep breath and reminded himself to calm down. He was well-acquainted with his own confrontational side, and he didn't want to scare Danny away when the boy was obviously playing cat-and-mouse with him. He just hoped that Danny would come clean soon, because Vlad could already feel his own patience thinning.

* * *

Today was not his day, Danny thought irritably as he slammed the front door shut just a little too hard.

Lancer had forced him to come in on a _Saturday_ for detention, putting Danny to work with the other outcasts and high school burnouts doing janitorial duties. Between washing the chalkboards and taking out the trash, he had to suffer in silence while Lancer made snide comments on how punishment builds character and how sure he was that they would thank him for this one day.

Of course, Lancer couldn't pass up the opportunity to direct a few jabs at him personally, rubbing Danny's recent bad grade in his face and how 'if he really cared he should put more effort in knowing more than 60% of his quiz material'.

Well, Danny was _100%_ sure that exploiting minors for unpaid labor was illegal, but to each his own.

Worse, by the time Lancer finally let them go, Danny was already running late to Vlad's. The man had very little patience for tardiness, and he was bound to take issue with this even if it _wasn't _Danny's fault.

He blamed Lancer, and the poor souls who conceived him but didn't hug him enough growing up.

"Mom, dad, I'm home," he called out down the basement stairs. "Gonna head out to Vlad's in a few. Don't wait up!"

"Okay, honey, be safe and take the Fenton motor scooter!" Maddie answered, distracted with another experiment.

"Will do," Danny lied and ran up the stairs to get his books. While his parents knew about his arrangement with Vlad and the man's own ghost portal, they insisted on making Danny take the old beat up motor scooter they kept in the basement. 'Just because ghosts can't do anything to you in human form doesn't mean you shouldn't travel safely and efficiently through the ghost zone', his mother had said. If only they knew...

There was a knock at the door.

"Danny, _where _are you going?" Jazz stepped into the room, ignoring how accusatory those words sounded when it came out of her mouth.

"To Vlad's. It's tutoring night," Danny said, shoving his history textbook into his backpack. He was now a solid ten minutes late. "And please, do come in."

"You've been going over there a lot lately, little brother," Jazz observed out loud.

Danny shot her an annoyed look. "Yeah well, he's helping me pass my classes. Is there a problem with that?" He couldn't help but be snarky about the whole thing. Jazz meant well, but she meddled too much sometimes and Danny really didn't need this right now.

"Why are you so defensive?" Jazz was starting to get worked up too. "I was just asking a question."

"Really? Because it sounds like an interrogation," Danny retorted.

"Well, excuse me for being so hard on you! Maybe I'm just worried that my brother is hanging out with his arch-nemesis," Jazz said heatedly. "Did you forget all the stuff he did to our _family_?!"

Jesus_ fucking_ Christ. "No, Jazz, and you know _why_? Because I have people like you and Sam to remind me every. Single. _Fucking_. Day." Danny said, gritting his teeth. "Maybe it's time both of you stop. I'm tired of having the same argument over and over again! It's _boring_."

"Daniel James Fenton, you watch your attitude." Jazz said sternly. "I might not be mom and dad, but I will _not_ have you speak to me like that!"

"Whatever, Jazz. I'll see you later."

"_Danny!_"

* * *

"You're late."

"I got held up," Danny said. "Detention ran overtime and Lancer wouldn't give me my phone."

"I do hope that was the case," Vlad said coolly. "Or else it would just be incredibly inconsiderate. I assume this is meant to be a one-time occurrence?"

Danny grimaced. "Don't count on it," he mumbled, but loud enough for the man to hear.

Vlad felt his eye twitch.

Danny dumped the contents of his bag out onto the table with no warning. Notebooks and pens spilled out in a colorful disorganized array on Vlad's desk, jostling the man's work reports and sending them tumbling to the ground. The older felt a jolt of displeasure at the mess, but didn't comment beyond a sniff of disdain. Instead, his eyes skimmed the contents of Danny's bag, furrowing his eyebrows in confusion when things didn't add up.

"I thought we were going over chemistry tonight," Vlad said and picked up the history textbook.

"No, I'm pretty sure I said history the last time I was here," Danny muttered distractedly as he tried to find his flashcards. There was an aura of irritable chaos radiating from the boy tonight, Vlad thought to himself. Perhaps it was best to tread carefully.

"Your history midterm was just last week," Vlad countered. "Seems unlikely that we need to follow up with the subject so soon."

"It's called staying ahead of the curve, old man," Danny argued back, his tone unintentionally snippy. No flashcards. He completely forgot them on his desk. Damn.

Vlad frowned disapprovingly at the boy's rudeness but held his tongue. "I don't exactly have the materials prepared for a history lesson tonight," he said instead.

A scoff. "I thought you were supposed to just know everything."

Vlad could feel the impending frustration course through him. "You're being incredibly short with me," he said. "What is the problem?"

Danny rolled his eyes dismissively. "Nothing! Do you_ want _there to be a problem?"

This was the final straw.

Vlad walked over to Danny with slow and measured steps. His figure loomed over the young man's lithe form and invaded his personal space, and for a moment Danny's eyes flickered with uncertainty. It was fear, and Vlad liked that fear. "If you have something to say, Daniel, at least have the mettle to look me in the eyes when you do," he said in a threatening growl.

"I _said_," Danny glared harder, sizing the man up and not backing down. "_Do you want there to be a problem?_"

"I think I do, Daniel. But not because I want to, but because you leave me with no choice," Vlad's gaze was hard. "You have been absolutely insufferable as of late and I want to know _why_."

"It's none of your business!" Danny gritted his teeth. "Why do you keep wanting to butt in instead of letting me deal with my problems on my own?"

"Perhaps if you would stop throwing your anger out on innocent parties, I would trust your judgment more!" Vlad argued back.

"Oh, you're lecturing me about taking out my anger on innocent people now?" Danny could almost laugh at the irony. "Are we just going to pretend like that wasn't your _entire life_, Vlad?"

"Careful, Daniel," Vlad said, his voice low and threatening. "I will not have you insult me in my own home."

"_Then stop acting like a constipated asshole._"

Vlad snapped at the insult and sent Danny flying into the wall with an ectoblast. He was never good at controlling his temper and the boy just snapped his last nerve tonight. There was a shout of pain and anger amidst the smoke and broken wood panels, and then Danny was barreling towards him, eyes glowing green with rage. The boy screamed bloody murder and grabbed him by his shirt, hurtling Vlad into the desk. It broke under the force of the impact, sending Vlad to the floor in a painful fall. Danny was on him before he knew what was happening, fists flying in his face and making contact. Once. Twice. Vlad lost count, faintly registering that Danny has gotten a_ lot_ stronger. Not good. He aimed a heavy shove at the boy's torso and sent him stumbling back, falling on his butt. Seizing the moment, Vlad twisted Danny's arm and pinned him to the floor. There was an audible crack of bone beneath him, and Vlad couldn't help but feel satisfied at causing pain.

"I've had just about enough of your insolence, _boy,_" he spat out, crushing Danny's head against the ground with his hand. "You're making me regret _ever_ taking you under my wing!"

"Oh, does it _kill _you that I won't act on your terms?!" Danny still had some fight in him. "That I refuse to be your whipping boy just because you're helping me?!"

Vlad was struggling to keep him pinned. "When are you going to stop fighting for the sake of fighting with me?! Don't make me force your hand, Daniel!" He yelled, only to pull back in shock when wood shards came flying at his face and into his eyes.

Danny threw Vlad off him and scrambled away, heaving and glaring at the man with hate and fear and hurt. Something warm was trickling down the side of his face and Danny smelled the familiar sweet metallic scent. Fuck. He was bleeding. Today was definitely _not_ his day.

"I see. You are_ just_ like your father after all." Vlad's voice held an ominous edge as he stood up. Drops of blood were trickling down his face but he only glared heatedly at Danny. "_Ungrateful_. _Reckless_-"

"My _dad_ is a _good man_!" Danny yelled furiously.

"Your_ dad_ is an_ incompetent moron!_" Vlad roared. "And it's clear that you would rather follow in his footsteps than strive for something better than what you have now! You're _weak-willed-"_

"Shut up!"

"_-spineless and pathetic-_"

"Shut _up_!"

"-you rebuff me at _every turn_, throw away_ every opportunity _I present to you-"

"Please stop already!"

"_Everything_ your parents neglected to do, Daniel, I stepped in and did for them!_ Everything! _Yet you give at the slightest pressure and turn against me, and _for what?! _So you can stay comfortable where you are?_ In a life you don't want with parents who are too self-absorbed to notice you under your sister's shadow?!_" Vlad looked almost deranged, his anger overtaking sense.

Danny could feel the tears building, threatening to spill over onto his cheeks. His head swam with emotions. Rage. Humiliation. Hurt. Regret. They were all bubbling onto the surface now.

"Oh, but of course. Maddie and Jack always get _all the credit_ for what little they do, and_ I get all the blame!_"

"Ugh! Just _shut up_. Shut up shut up shut up!" Danny tugged at his hair hard enough to hurt. "Shut up about me! Shut up about my parents! _For once in your life, Vlad, just shut the fuck up!_"

The silence that ensued was deafening. Danny was near hyperventilating, choking back quiet sobs to maintain whatever dignity he had left. He refused to look at Vlad, too emotionally unstable to make eye contact and not want to...scream? Cry? Danny didn't know anymore. But if he had looked up, he would have seen Vlad's stricken face staring at him, the taste of regret on his tongue for what he said.

"This was clearly a mistake." Vlad's voice was like ice. "I should have known better than to put my faith in someone who refuses to live up to his potential. Perhaps your place is Amity Park after all. Perhaps that's where you _want_ to belong."

It was like being slapped in the face.

"Well, I'm_ sorry_ your little _pet project _didn't turn out the way you wanted just like _everything else in your life!_" Danny spat the words out like they were poison. He got up swiftly, shoving his jacket and books and all his homework into his bag because fuck this shit. Fuck him. Fuck this place and everything in it. He was never coming back here.

Racing down the staircase, Danny stomped all the way down the hall. He brushed the palm of his hand over his eyes, willing himself to stop crying already because Vlad wasn't worth crying over _and who the fuck does he think he is-_

Danny screamed with rage, letting loose his ghostly wail to unleash hell. If nothing else, he was going to make sure Vlad feels_ this_. Paintings fell off the walls, its glass frames shattering upon contact with the ground. Glass vases exploded like fireworks, bouncing across the floor and reflecting the fragmented crystals dangling from the chandelier. Danny saw a thousand pieces of his own reflection, blue eyes reflecting the sorrow and guilt and anger stirring in his heart.

He didn't wait for Vlad to come out to dish out his revenge, running into the lobby with his hand reaching for the doorknob. There was no turning back after this. They've made their bed.

Something caught the corner of his eye that made him stop in his tracks.

"What the fuck are you doing?" He whispered to himself. There was no reason for him to stay anymore and the door was right there. Despite that, Danny walked up to the trophy display, glass crunching beneath his feet.

Inside the broken glass trophy case, amongst all the signed memorabilia of the Green Bay Packers, was Danny's first exam. The _95%_ was circled in red with a '_well done_' written right next to it in cursive. The nicest thing Lancer ever said to him, but the reason why it was in the case was entirely Vlad's idea.

He had shown it to him in the end anyway.

"_Here," Danny said, handling over the packet. "I got my test back today." _

_Vlad stopped mid-rant about his favorite football team and how they lost their third game this season. Something about having home-field advantage and not making it to the playoffs if they keep playing with weak defense. Danny wasn't really sure; football wasn't really his favorite sport to watch. _

"_No more bad news, I hope," Vlad said teasingly and took the test. His eyes lighted up at the grade and Vlad broke into a smile. Danny felt his stomach jump. _

"_Well done, Daniel!" Vlad laughed and tousled his hair with rough affection. "Seems like there's hope for you yet." _

"_Yeah yeah, it's okay, I guess," Danny grumbled in embarrassment. "Sorry the Packers lost today though." _

"_Hmm? Oh yes, a disappointment. But I'm sure they'll pull through next week against the Redskins."_

_Danny followed him down the hall, perplexed. "Where are you going with that?" He asked, as Vlad stopped in front of the trophy display and rummaged his pocket for the key. "Oh my God, it's not like it's a trophy, Vlad!" _

"_Nonsense," Vlad smiled and unlocked the cabinet, placing Danny's test amongst the green and gold. "I consider this a win!" _

Danny felt his gut twist with guilt.

* * *

Danny walked calmly back into Vlad's study with a mug of hot tea in his hands. The older man had moved himself to the couch, lying back against the cushions with his arms crossed. He looked tense despite his comfortable position, like he was having a bad dream.

Danny gently nudged the figure. "Hey, are you asleep?"

"No." Came the tired answer.

"Oh," Danny said and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He didn't do well with apologies. "Are you hurt?" He said instead.

"No more than you."

Danny rocked side to side, awkwardly shoving his hands into his pockets. "I-I'm sorry I ruined your house," he said, wincing at how lame that sounded.

"No you're not."

"Okay, fine!" Danny huffed and crossed his arms. "I'm not really that sorry, because you definitely threw the first punch. And you fight so dirty at times! I'm still pissed at all the stuff you said by the way-"

"Oh, touched a nerve, did they?"

"-because they're unfair and untrue and it was a low blow. _You know it was._"

Vlad was unresponsive.

"But I _am_ sorry for what I said," Danny looked contrite. "I can't take it back but I am sorry. I should've taken the high road but—for a moment I just...wanted to hurt you. I know you did-still do-a lot for me, and I was a dick. So..."

There was a sigh. "The high road is pretty but uncomfortable, and annoyingly inconvenient." Vlad sat up, grimacing as his shoulder popped. "I can't blame you for taking the easy way out like I did. As the adult, I should've exerted more self-control and I failed. I was in the wrong here, not you."

Danny slid into a comfortable position on the floor, hugging his legs to his knees. "So...are we good?" He looked at the man hopefully.

Vlad held Danny's gaze firmly, his elbows resting on his knees. The insults stung and the flying fists may have hurt, but they were all secondary. He just needed to know one thing. "Why have you been avoiding me?" Vlad asked quietly.

"I-" _I haven't. _Danny clenched his teeth. He should be shocked at himself, that his knee-jerk reaction was to lie and bullshit his way out of an honest conversation. Maybe he wasn't so different from Vlad after all.

Vlad looked unimpressed. "I don't want to have this fight again, Daniel," he said flatly.

"_God_, you can never just let things go, can you?"

A chuckle. "It's my nature. You know that."

"A little too well," Danny grumbled and leaned back on his hands. "Fine. Truth be told, I've been a little off lately. I'm not...sure how I should behave around you."

Vlad looked vaguely concerned. "Was it something I did?"

"No! It's not you, it's me, and I'm not just saying that." Danny was quick to elaborate. "I have these...trust issues. And I question things right when they get good and then I always ruin it. Big time."

"Yes, I'm well aware of your self-sabotaging tendencies," Vlad said dryly.

Danny narrowed his eyes. "Look, call me crazy, but I'm not _good _at letting good things just _happen. _And yeah, part of it is people close to me say things and it gets to me, but then again, it's not like they don't have a point," he continued. "Also, life has a weird way of kicking me around when things seem fine. _You've_ contributed to that significantly might I add!"

Vlad smirked. "Oh, are you expecting an apology bouquet?"

"Don't make me hit you again, fruitloop."

Vlad chuckled lightly and leaned back against couch with a sigh. "I have issues with trust too, Daniel," he confessed. "So, on some level I understand how it feels. You and I are more alike than you think."

"That's a terrifying thought," Danny chuckled nervously. "But unfortunately, one that I've been entertaining a lot lately."

Vlad raised an eyebrow in amusement.

"_Stop _looking at me like that." Danny rolled his eyes, but the subtle tug at his lips gave him away. "And to be fair, your trust issues are hiding in plain sight, Vlad," he said. "I mean, you work alone, you live alone...let's face it, most days you probably_ prefer_ being alone because people just wreck stuff."

"You're more observant than people give you credit for," Vlad praised.

"Yeah?" Danny's eyes held a mischievous spark. "Am I right, or am I right?"

Vlad shrugged. "I'd argue that you know me pretty well, but _not _well enough."

"Classic response from someone who puts up one too many walls."

"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black," Vlad said dryly.

"Hey, no flipping the tables. You can't use my weakness against me," Danny bantered and gently prodded Vlad's knee with his foot. The older man caught the limb in a tight grip and playfully tugged Danny forward, making him lose his balance and fall onto his back. The boy's answering laugh was enough to assure Vlad that he took the roughhousing in stride.

"From one damaged goods to another, do you think you could possibly, with time," Vlad tried to stay casual, but Danny could hear the hope in his voice. "Come to trust _me_, Daniel?"

"I've never been great at that, have I?" Danny responded honestly. "But I want to be."

Vlad smiled.

* * *

"What should we do about your house?" Danny asked as they stepped into the hallway to survey the damage. Broken tables. Broken glass. Everything was a mess.

"Perhaps I should open up a tab and put it on your bill," Vlad said smugly. "Not that you could ever pay it off, of course." He seemed strangely nonchalant despite the scope of the destruction. He did, however, make a pained face at the broken pieces of a beautiful porcelain vase. Butter nuts, that had been an (illegal) antique from the Tang dynasty!

Danny had other ideas. "Wrong. You should burn the house down for the insurance money," he chuckled deviously. "You'll probably get more out of it anyways."

Vlad stared at him incredulously. "Between you and me, you just proposed arson and insurance fraud. How am_ I _the problematic party here?!"

Danny's laughter echoed through the halls.

* * *

To be continued...


	5. Chapter 5

Junior year saw Danny at his busiest. Between AP courses, afterschool enrichments, and his latest research internship, Danny had a full schedule with very little time to idle about. Gone were the days where he did nothing but waste time with his friends, even if they still hung out during school nearly everyday. But the looming threat of college applications had finally settled in, forcing even the most laidback students to snap out of their academic stupor.

Tucker finally started taking himself seriously enough to apply his talents in computer science, becoming a full-time member in the computer club and doing freelance coding jobs to pad his résumé. Sam signed up for summer courses at the local college to earn extra credit, taking college-level classes in women's studies and feminist's theory or whatever it was called. From the sound of her passionate rants during lunch, it sounded intense.

If there was one upside to all this mayhem, it was that his friendship with Sam was finally on the mend. It definitely came way out of left field (or maybe Tucker had a hand in orchestrating this, Danny wasn't sure), but Sam managed to surprise him by doing something she has never done before. She talked to him first after a big fight.

"_I've been told that I can be a bit of a steamroller," she blurted. _

"_What...What's happening right now?" Danny stared at her, dumbfounded. Sam Manson looking contrite and making the first move to apologize? This was unprecedented. _

_Sam shot Tucker a glance, who gave her an encouraging smile. She sighed. "I want us to be friends again, Danny, because I miss you. And I miss the three of us together." _

"_I never wanted to stop being friends, Sam," Danny's gaze softened. "It was just hard to pretend nothing happened after what we said to each other." _

"_I know. I can be...abrasive." Sam said, wincing at her own past behavior. "Look, we may not agree on everything, but I've been told-" she shot another glance at Tucker. "-that you are your own person and I just need to trust you to handle yourself. This is hard for me, but I'm done being a steamroller and I'm done forcing people to do what I want. So, what do you want?" _

_Danny's smile was blinding as he rose from his seat to hug her tight. "It's good to have you back, Sam." _

Danny rolled his shoulders and groaned in satisfaction when his joints popped. He knew it was bad habit to work on his bed, but it was just really comfortable, especially with the plushy pillow he 'borrowed' from Vlad's. He pulled the pillow from behind his back to fluff it, enjoying the softness of the cotton beneath his hands. There was no way he was giving this back.

There were soft rhythmic footfalls outside his door, and Danny's ears perked up at the noise. It was too light to be his father's, who had a habit of barreling through the halls with his heavy stomping, and it lacked the steady, unyielding confidence of his mother's, something that only came with age. Danny smiled.

"Jazz, I can hear you pacing, you know."

There was a pause, and then Jazz was shuffling into his room. She chuckled nervously and closed the door with her back.

"Heard me huh?" She smiled.

"I love you, but you're about as subtle as a gun," Danny teased. "What's up?"

"Oh, just wanted to check in and see how you're doing," Jazzed said innocently and sat down on the bed. She eyed Danny's laptop and papers with interest.

"Your voice gets higher when you lie."

Jazz bit her lip. "I-I got into Stanford," she said quickly, blushing prettily.

"Oh my God." Danny felt his jaw drop. "_Oh my God!_" He cried and lunged at his sister, tackling her into a hug. They crashed backwards onto the bed, their heads barely missing the bedframe. Jazz let out a big 'oof' as she laughed, petting her brother on the head awkwardly.

"I got the acceptance email from admissions today," she said. "They're even giving me a scholarship!"

"That's great!" Danny exclaimed, pulling back to look at her. "Mom and dad must be psyched! Are we going out tonight to celebrate or something? What's the plan?"

Jazz shrugged. "I haven't told mom and dad yet."

"Why not?"

Jazz smiled. "I just wanted to talk to you first. About what this means. About everything," she said. "After summer ends, I'm gonna be all the way out in California. That's as far as you can get without leaving the country."

"Don't you want that though? This town was always too small for you," Danny said fondly, remembering all the times his sister fussed about this debate team and that newspaper club, never staying in one place too long in pursuit of her big plans. Danny always knew she was going places.

"It is for you too, you know," Jazz said and reached out to grasp Danny's hand into her own. "I really hope Michigan works out. It's about time you get out of here too."

Danny sighed, knowing where this conversation was going. "Jazz-"

"What? I just think you deserve to have your own life," Jazz said. "You can't bind yourself to Amity Park forever. It's just not fair to you."

"Yes, _I know_. That's why I'm choosing Michigan."

"Is that why you chose it? Because it's just a state away?" Jazz asked. "Please tell me there's more to it."

"Well, I'd like to think it's the best of both worlds," Danny shrugged. "This way I'd get to be close to here _and_ be in the program I want, if I get in."

"You'll get in," Jazz said confidently. "They'll be crazy not to have you!"

"It's a bit soon to tell, isn't it? Don't dangle the carrot and take it away, Jazz." Danny laughed nervously. "I know you're always worried that I'm missing out, but I'm okay. And Amity Park will always have this pull on a part of me, so I don't want to stray far even if I don't want to stay here completely."

Jazz didn't understand, but she knew this was just something beyond her human capabilities. Something instinctual that only Danny could mentally grasp with his ghost half...and perhaps even Vlad. The thought made her mildly uncomfortable. "You know I love you always, right?" She said instead and squeezed his hand. "You're my baby brother."

A blush. "You're being cheesy, Jazz."

"What? I just want my baby brother to be happy."

Danny rolled his eyes, but his expression was fond. "Okay, if you keep calling me that I'm going to sit on you," he said jokingly. Jazz shoved him with a huff.

"Just...don't be afraid to talk to me about stuff. I still wanna hear about all your drama with everyone, even if I'm far away," Jazz said and smiled, but the corners of her mouth were tense. "And this thing with Vlad- I mean, I don't know what is this hold he has on you-"

"_Jazz!" _

"I'm just saying, be careful. Don't let him screw you over."

"Wow, your confidence in me is touching," Danny deadpanned.

"It's never too late to develop a sixth sense for these kinds of things, little brother," Jazz preached. "Or in your case, a seventh sense."

"You're telling me," Danny snorted. She had no idea just how deep his and Vlad's trust issues ran side-by-side, and how they actually see each other more clearly because of it. Every day, more pieces of the man reveal themselves to Danny, and like a collector, he was utterly intrigued.

Not that Jazz had to know. Not that _anyone_ had to know.

Danny leaned back against the headboard with a pout. "Summers are gonna be weird without you now. Who's gonna tell mom and dad to stop cooking chicken wrong?" He said instead, changing the subject.

"Yeah, you might want to keep some emergency money on hand. This isn't gonna be pretty."

* * *

"They're going to reject me."

"You submitted your application three days ago," Vlad said flatly. "And results are not finalized until April, my dear boy."

"Yup, and they threw it in the trash," Danny lamented. "Because that's where it belongs. In the trash. Like my life."

Vlad sighed deeply and snapped his book shut. He peered down at Danny, who was sprawled on the ground like a sad puddle. "Daniel, stop being melodramatic. You are acting like a child."

"I'm a teenager, fruitloop. I _am_ a child."

"Yes, but you are acting like a petulant one."

It took immense emotional effort for Danny to roll over onto his back. "Whatever," he muttered passive-aggressively. "I really hope I didn't screw this up, fruitloop."

"Daniel, you gave it your all," Vlad said. "You applied yourself and that's all anyone could ask for."

"Mhm."

"Alright, what is this really about?" Vlad asked, leaning forward to eye Danny suspiciously. "You're brooding more than usual."

"I wouldn't call this brooding," Danny argued weakly.

"I would. I can feel the weight of your teenage angst from here. It's utterly suffocating," Vlad said with a smug grin.

Danny kicked him half-heartedly in the shin.

"Oh come now, Daniel, do stop this," Vlad chuckled. "Humor me and tell me what has brought this on? Your emotional distress has literally sent you to the floor."

Danny stared at the man, light blue eyes meeting navy ones. "Nah, not to worry, fruitloop. Soon enough, my emotional distress and I will be out of your hair," he said. He was still wrapping his head around it, but the end of college applications also meant the end of frequent visits to Vlad's place. This meant no more late-night study pancakes and pestering Vlad in his office, no more arguing over the uselessness of common core math and how it 'destroyed an entire generation's ability to think creatively about forming solutions', and most importantly, no more aimless entertaining small talk during their down time (those were some of Danny's favorite conversations). The whole situation just really sucked; in the end, their unlikely camaraderie and endless bickering was actually really fun.

Navy blue eyes softened, reading Danny clearly. "You tried to microwave macaroni and cheese without water the other day. Trust me when I say our work is hardly done here, little badger," Vlad mocked, but his voice held a reassuring undertone that was equal parts comforting and affirming.

Danny stared at the ceiling and grinned.

"And if you insist on staying down there, might I suggest you put yourself to good use and clean the floors? It's lacking its usual shine."

* * *

Christmas was right around the corner, which meant fighting the bustling crowd for holiday foods and decorations. As usual, the Fenton household procrastinated this year until the last possible minute, which is why Danny found himself at the Amity mall with his entire family and Sam, who tagged along out of pity for her friend.

The whole thing was something out of a nightmare; in the span of three hours, his dad had completely knocked over all the set decoration for the Photos with Santa booth, Jazz lost her grip on the bags and broke a ton of the ball ornaments, and his mom got kicked out for getting into a fight with an elderly woman over the last frozen Christmas goose.

Danny didn't know why he was even surprised anymore. Family mayhem was practically tradition at this point.

"So, I just want to say for the last time that your family is completely nuts," Sam commented, watching with amusement as Jack Fenton battled with the security officers. He had his hands tight around the mall Santa's leg, grabbing on as he yelled insistently for a photo. The poor guy in the Santa costume looked both befuddled _and _traumatized at the grown man fighting to have his way with him. Danny couldn't bear to witness this mess any longer and dragged Sam away in the opposite direction.

"You say that now. Wait until we go to the Christmas tree farm," Danny muttered. "If dad doesn't get his Douglas fir this year, he's gonna lose it."

"Sounds like an all-round terrible time," Sam grinned. "No offense, but as a Jewish person who can't celebrate the commercialization of Christ's birthday, I _am_ glad to be pardoned from all this prep crap."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Yeah, you're so lucky," he said. "What are you guys doing for Christmas, anyway?"

"Well, Shabbat's happening this year, actually," Sam said. "So, we're all going to the synagogue to pray. I'm actually pretty excited, it's been a while since I've seen my family friends. I kinda miss them."

Somebody suddenly bumped into their backs.

"Hey, you lovebirds! It's mistletoe time!"

Danny and Sam whipped around with dread building in their stomachs. A man dressed in an outrageous elf costume with fairy wings dangled a sprig of mistletoe between their heads, the plant spinning slowly in the air from a string. People around them giggled and pointed at the elf's latest victims, slowing down with their camera phones at the ready.

"We're not actually together," Danny hurried to explain. Sam nodding frantically beside him.

"Could've fooled me," the man muttered, eyeing Danny and Sam's linked arms with suspicion. "C'mon, hop to it. You're making a scene, lovebirds. Don't let down your audience, eh?"

They panicked, looking around them for an escape route only to realize they were completed surrounded. Some of the more impatient people started chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" It was at this moment, Danny and Sam recognized that there was no way out.

Sam turned to Danny and shrugged. "In the spirit of fake-out make-out?" She asked. Danny laughed nervously and nodded, cupping Sam's face with his hands before leaning in like they had done this a million times.

Sam's lips felt warm and pliant against his own, the pressure and pillowy feel of it a familiar weight to him. Danny breathed her in and moved his lips lazily, feeling her smile against him; Sam smelled of the lavender lotion she's never _not_ using (the only girly thing she claimed to possess) and hints of grape gum flavoring, scents Danny had come to always associate with her like an old friend. There was no electricity or sparks, or the feeling of that_ rush_ described in books. The kiss simply _was_.

"C'mon, put some fire into it!"

Danny knew what that meant, and mentally rolled his eyes. His tongue peeked out to give a little tease, swiping gently along Sam's pouty lips to ask for permission. He felt the vibrations of Sam's giggles against his mouth and fought down a smile, gently coaxing Sam's lips open as an invitation to play. Not one to back down, Sam pressed closer and _went for it,_ her tongue darting out to tango with his shamelessly. She felt arms snake around her waist to press her closer, and her mind took note that Danny was unusually good at this. Before they knew it, they were dancing way past the boundaries of their fake-out make-outs and frenching in front of people.

They broke apart to a scatter of cheers and wolf whistles, and ducked down immediately to rid themselves of the attention. Walking away from the dissipating crowd, Danny and Sam found a quiet corner and looked each other in the eye.

Sam broke the silence first. "Hmm, nope."

"No."

"Mistake."

Danny nodded. "Huge."

"I mean, you're a good kisser and all-"

"-oh, thank you, I think you are too-"

"-but that did kind of feel like I was kissing my own-"

"Sam, I'm begging you to _please_ not finish that sentence."

The pair stared at each other for a quiet moment before bursting into hysterics, clutching each other out of embarrassment for what they had done. Underneath the cacophony of their laughter, the quiet pages turned with a rustling sigh of relief as another chapter of their tumultuous history was put to rest.

"Merry Christmas, Sam."

"Merry Christmas, Danny."

* * *

Danny couldn't believe what he was seeing. He folded the letter back up into its neat rectangle and took a deep breath.

It couldn't be.

He opened the letter back up and read each word very carefully (again).

_Dear Mr. Daniel Fenton, _

_Congratulations! On behalf of The University of Michigan-Ann Arbor I am pleased to inform you that you have been admitted to our aerospace engineering program for the Fall of 2019!_

This wasn't just his wishful thinking.

Feeling dazed, the young man let his own feet carry him back into the house. He could see his parents bickering in the kitchen, no doubt arguing about the calculations on their latest invention for maiming ghosts. Jazz was back from spring break, taking notes furiously about their parents' social dynamics and working slowly toward her breakthrough on the human psyche.

Danny slipped past them effortlessly and headed straight for the laboratory, where the ghost portal sat patiently waiting for him with its eerie green glow.

He didn't know what possessed him to do this, to sit on this news and not tell his family – _his actual family who were all present in the house, for God's sake_! Instead, Danny found himself wading through the ghost zone, searching for the one familiar door he'd come to associate with Vlad Master's residence.

Vlad's laboratory space was empty but alive with the soft hums of generators and the bubbling of brewing chemicals. The young man didn't linger around for too long, even though some of the advanced technology lying around made it very tempting.

One lap around the mansion revealed no sign of Vlad, Danny realized as he sat down on a comfy lounge chair by the window. He wasn't surprised; from all the work stories he'd heard from the man, being a CEO wasn't all it was cracked up to be.

What is he even gonna say? Danny thought to himself. Thank you for helping me get into college and rescuing me from a wretched life of being stuck in Amity Park forever? I'm sorry for being difficult while you were helping me? The young man owed him more than he could put into words.

Danny didn't know when he dozed off, but next thing he knew he was being shaken awake by a warm hand.

"Daniel?" A baritone voice called to him.

"Mm..." Danny sighed sleepily, feeling disoriented. "Five more minutes, mom."

A deep sigh. "Daniel, wake up. It's much too late for you to be out of your house."

At the mention of time, Danny jerked awake and sat up on the lounge chair. "W-Wait, what time is it?" He said groggily, searching his pockets for his phone.

Vlad glanced at his (obnoxiously expensive) watch, loosening his tie in the process. "It's almost midnight."

"Fuck!"

Vlad felt his patience thinning at the curse word. A migraine was coming, he could feel it. "Not that I don't enjoy the occasional spontaneous visit from you, but how long have you been here?" He asked.

"A lot longer than I anticipated. I broke curfew so I'm grounded, probably. Mom and dad are definitely pissed," Danny mumbled and turned on his phone.

Seven missed calls and five text messages, each terser than the last. Crap.

"Daniel-"

"It doesn't matter," he shrugged. "I actually came here to show you something."

Despite his exhaustion, Vlad's interest was piqued. "Oh? Hopefully not another childish prank of yours, little badger? I've had a very trying day."

To Vlad's surprise, Danny laughed. "Well, if this is a prank, then I guess you deserve some serious bragging rights, fruitloop," he smiled and held out the folded letter.

Vlad took the crumpled paper carefully, nose wrinkling in distaste at the sad state of the letter. Danny watched with amusement as the man's eyes widened with each sweep across the page. The older man bolted out of his chair; all traces of exhaustion long gone. "You-!"

"Told you," Danny said, tucking his hands into his back pockets. "Serious bragging rights, fruitloop."

Vlad surged forward and ruffled the young man's hair enthusiastically. "Daniel, this is phenomenal news!" Vlad's smile was infectious, and Danny felt himself grinning from ear to ear.

Danny's face felt like it was on fire. "Yeah okay," he laughed and shrugged off the older gentleman's hand, straightening his hair. "Guess you worked your magic and it paid off."

"Nonsense, Daniel! This was as much your accomplishment as it was mine!" Vlad said, examining the piece of paper proudly. He didn't know why he was so affected by all this, but he felt his chest swell with something warm. "Your parents must have been overjoyed by this development," he added, imagining the small nuclear family celebrating Daniel's college acceptance, happily and together.

"I uh..." Danny coughed awkwardly into his fist. "I haven't told them yet, actually."

Wow, it was really warm in here. Stupid fruitloop and his pretentious fireplaces.

Vlad felt his heart flip. "Oh."

"Because I think I owe you one," Danny sucked in a shaky breath. "Like, I owe you a _big one_, you stupid fruitloop."

"Daniel..."

"Christ, I'm being all weird." Danny could feel his eyes stinging. "Who would've thought, huh? You gave me a kick in the ass when I couldn't pull my shit together. If I knew that this was how it felt, and that I was gonna just give this up, I would've never-_I could kick myself. _But you knew, didn't you?"

"I always knew you could rise to the occasion, little badger. I may have said different in anger, but I never doubted your capabilities for a moment," Vlad said, and it was the unwavering manner which he said it that finally made Danny break down.

Vlad walked up quietly and wrapped Danny in a hug. The younger buried his face into the velvet fabric of Vlad's suit and silently wept, clinging on tightly with his hands. "Thank you," he muttered into Vlad's chest, too muffled to be heard clearly but Vlad heard it anyway.

The unfamiliar feeling of gracious tears soaked through Vlad's shirt and penetrated the coldest part of his memories. Walking out on his parents at the age of seventeen. Pushing away his best friends. Rejection and heartbreak. Lonely days in the hospital. Lonely nights since forever. They all seemed to burn away for a moment, its sharp edges smoothed over and painful blows softened. He wouldn't trade this for anything, the older man thought to himself.

Vlad held onto Danny and dared himself to hope.

Danny sniffled under him. "And if this was a scheme, it's a r-really good one. Major points to you, Vlad."

Vlad chuckled. "I'll have you know that I _will_ be keeping track," he teased. "This one definitely goes into the books."

"Yeah well, take a picture, it'll last longer, old man."

Vlad rolled his eyes and retrieved a handkerchief from his pocket. "Just like you to ruin a beautiful moment," he muttered and wiped the trail of tears on Danny's face. "I think it's best if you hurry back now, Daniel. Your parents and sister must be quite worried, and you have much to tell them."

Danny nodded and detached himself from the man, taking the cloth and wiping his face. "Sorry about your suit," he said and grinned. Vlad snorted.

Danny transformed into Phantom and floated up into the air, his spectral tail trailing behind him. He hesitated for moment, suspended mid-air in Vlad's parlor. "If...If I wait until the weekend to tell them, do you think you can come over and maybe we can all go out and grab some dinner?" He asked.

Feeling blindsided, Vlad could only gape at the boy. "Am I to take it that you're inviting me to be with your family?" What was happening tonight? He hoped this wasn't some kind of dream.

"Think about it," Danny winked and sped off to the laboratory. "And text me later, fruitloop!" His voice echoed through the empty halls, ringing in Vlad's ears.

Danny couldn't wipe the smile off his face the whole way home. Even when he stepped through the ghost portal and was abruptly stopped by the angry faces of both his parents _and_ Jazz.

"_Daniel James Fenton, you are so grounded!_"

Worth it.

* * *

To be continued...


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I made a mistake when uploading the chapters. I accidentally uploaded chapter 6 first before chapter 5, so please keep that in mind when reading! Thank you.

* * *

"Congratulations to Casper High School's class of 2019!"

Shouts of joy permeated the air as hundreds of graduation hats were tossed up. Parents and relatives cheered from the sidelines and the final song – some corny sugar-pop number that the popular kids picked out- started blasting from the speakers. As the graduates got out of their seats to dance, the trio broke away from the fray and made their way toward their parents on the bleachers.

"We're out of here!" Tucker screamed. "These four years could not go by fast enough."

"Oh, I dunno, Tuck," Danny teased playfully. "You didn't seem to complain when we were going around chasing ghosts together."

"Danny, that was probably the highlight of everyday," Tucker countered. "You liked it too. Don't deny it."

He couldn't.

"Nevermind that, I still can't believe you invited Vlad Masters to your graduation." Sam frowned as the silver-haired man appeared in her vision. He seemed to be enjoying himself, casually conversing with the Mansons and Danny's parents. Something he said made everyone laugh, and her mom actually put a hand on his arm! What a charmer. Ick.

"Well, he _is_ the reason why I'm getting my diploma, Sam." Danny smiled and wrapped an arm around his best friend. "I have a lot to thank him for, no matter how much you hate that fact."

"It's because he's up to something! Never trust a man who has that much hair on his head, Danny." Sam narrowed her eyes at Vlad and leaned toward Danny to whisper into his ear. "I bet it's filled with secrets."

The three giggled quietly to themselves. He was gonna miss this, Danny realized. After this summer, they were all going to go their separate ways. Tucker was moving all the way to California to attend school, and Sam was going to the East coast to raise hell with her activism, probably. While Danny could always fly over for spontaneous visits in his ghost form, he knew that life was gonna keep them all busy in whole new ways they haven't even experienced yet.

Life just got a lot bigger than Amity Park.

"Dude! You coming?" Tucker called out to him from the group. "All of us are going to a fancy restaurant to celebrate. Vlad's paying!"

"Which means you should get the lobster!" Sam smirked.

Her mother looked appalled. "Samantha!"

"It's alright, Pamela," Vlad laughed effortlessly. "Let them have their day."

As the group made their way to the gleaming limo outside, Vlad fell back to match pace with Danny.

"Is everything alright, little badger?" Vlad asked. "You don't seem ecstatic for someone who just achieved a major milestone today."

"I am," Danny insisted, trying to keep the emotional slump out of his steps. "It's just...I wonder when's the next time we can all be together again like this."

Vlad gazed at the children – nay, young adults now- in front of him. "Hard to say. But they do say that true friendship cannot be defined by time spent apart, only by enduring hardships together," he offered comfortingly.

"Such poetic nuance, fruitloop," Danny teased with a grin. "Your talents are clearly wasted as a mad scientist."

Vlad laughed and rested his hand on Danny's shoulder. "Just my two cents. No need to worry yourself, Daniel. You three will be just fine."

Danny smiled. "Yeah, we got this."

* * *

Moving into the college dorms was the physical embodiment of chaotic good.

Like classic Fenton fashion, they were totally late by the time they arrived to campus for move-in day. Moving vans and family cars blocked the roads, making it hard for them park near the freshmen dorms. Not that it mattered much to Jack, who weaved the Fenton mobile recklessly in between cars, people, and pets alike.

"Dad, you can't do that," Danny said, exasperated as they barely managed to swerve past a moving van. The driver angrily honked at them in retaliation, shaking his fist and cursing up a storm.

"Nonsense, Danny-boy! You gotta trust your old man. Nearly twenty years on the road and not a single speeding ticket or accident! My record's squeaky clean," Jack said proudly.

"I know, but let's not push our luck now, okay, dad?" Danny begged nervously. "I can see the headline now: Is it too fast too furious? Father of two's mad dash across campus triggers a ten-car pile-up."

"Ah, my son, you worry too much," Jack laughed and slammed on the brakes hard. Danny lunged forward in his seat, his seatbelt saving him from certain death. "We're here!"

Danny looked out the window and saw the grassy patches of the courtyard, surrounded on all sides by the freshmen dorms. "Dad! You can't park here!" He squawked, looking around frantically. His dad had parked dead center on the grass. In the middle of the courtyard. Where people could see them!

"What's the point of all this open space if you can't park on it?!"

Danny felt his jaw drop in disbelief. "It's a courtyard, dad! _People walk here," _he emphasized.

"Don't worry, dear, we'll be quick," Maddie cooed, patting his cheek softly. "They won't even notice."

He looked out the window at the swarm of people moving in. Some of them were definitely pointing at him and whispering to each other, giggling discreetly behind their hands. So much for keeping a low-profile.

"Awesome," Danny muttered under his breath and went to pop the trunk.

The great thing about helping Danny move was that he really didn't have that much stuff. He was no hoarder like his sister, who clung onto every loose button and birthday card given to her. It only took two trips to drop off the necessities for the start of Danny's college life: clothes, toiletries, laptop, and a trusty microwave.

Danny surveyed his living space with interest. He got really lucky with a double this year, especially since most freshmen were forced into triples. One of the beds was already the host for a red backpack and a laundry bag filled with clothes; his roommate had beaten him here.

"Hey, nice to meet you. I'm Ralph." A voice came from the doorway.

Danny turned around and smiled. This must be his roommate. Ralph sauntered into the room casually, his ripped, dirty jeans and worn t-shirt emitting a chill skater vibe. "Hey, likewise. I'm Danny." He stretched out his hand for a proper handshake, but was abruptly pushed aside.

"You must be my son's roomie!" Jack said excitedly, marching towards Ralph with heavy steps. Ralph stared at Danny's deadpan face with amusement as Jack showered him with attention.

"Ah, yeah. Hey, it's-whoa!" Ralph's eyes widened in shock as he was picked up off the floor. "Dude!"

"Jack, no. Put down the boy!"

It took major team effort to pry Jack away from Ralph, who remained unusually chill about the whole situation. They even exchanged a high-five before saying goodbye. Danny shook his head fondly; sometimes he didn't get his parents. Parting from his mom and dad was a tearful affair, mostly because Jack was bawling like a baby while clutching Danny close to his chest. Maddie dabbed at her moist eyes daintily and gave him a kiss on the forehead.

"Please remember to call, so I don't have to talk to your dad all the time," she said jokingly (but she may not have been joking, Danny wasn't really sure).

The climb back up to his dorm room suddenly felt a bit lonely. Four years without the everyday chaos of his parents' shenanigans now made Danny feel a bit empty inside just thinking about it. Chaos was familiar. It was home; hence, it was him. Now he had to define himself all over again.

"Sorry about my dad," Danny said sheepishly when he got back. "He can get a little too excited sometimes."

Ralph chuckled as he arranged his desk. "Nah, it's cool. I grew up with three brothers, I'm no stranger to a little roughhousing. How about you? Got any siblings?"

"Just an older sister. Our fights were purely psychological," Danny chatted as they moved around the room unpacking their stuff. It was obvious that Ralph had considerably more stuff to go around; posters of bands and skateboard parts and even a vinyl record player. Danny reminded himself to get some stuff to spruce up his side of the bed. But more or less, the room felt cozy enough. A new identity.

"Oh hey, this was dropped off for you before you came," Ralph said and handed over a leather-bound book. "Didn't see anyone do it though. Just kinda showed up."

Danny took the book and flipped open a random page, revealing a calendar with ample space to write down his weekly plans. The leather felt buttery soft beneath his fingers, and the gold embossing on the front just looked ridiculous. The whole thing felt expensive and over-the-top for something as simple as a planner.

Danny had a pretty good idea who gave it to him.

He flipped to the inside cover to confirm his suspicions.

_Dear Daniel, _

_A little planning goes a long way. _

_Best, _

_Vlad _

"I'm gonna go make a call," Danny said out loud before walking out into the hallway. He didn't stop until he reached the end of the hallway, where a large window faced the quad. Danny stared at the mingling students below as the phone rang.

"_Yes, Daniel. To what do I owe this pleasure?" _Vlad didn't sound surprised at all. The smug bastard.

Danny huffed. "So, is leaving unexpected gifts in undisclosed places something we do now? Was there a fine print in our agreement that I missed?"

"_Well, this wasn't the reaction that I hoped for. I was told that people tend to enjoy unexpected gifts." _

"Does that include accessing sensitive information like my dorm location?" Danny smirked.

There was a sly chuckle. _"In my line of work, ownership of sensitive information can be quite a... subjective concept, if you know what I mean."_

"You do realize how suspicious that sounds, don't you? God, you sound so slimy just now."

"_I'm a businessman, Daniel, not a Greenpeace worker," _Vlad said flatly._ "You have to pick your battles." _

"Ah, how wrong of me to hope that you'll be good just this once," Danny laughed. "I guess I was reaching."

"_You'll have to be more specific, I'm afraid. I never promised to compromise the full extent of my depravity, Daniel." _His voice was soft velvet. _"But doesn't that just make it more fun?" _

"Ohmygod shut up," Danny blurted, face flushed with embarrassment.

When Danny came back, Ralph was comfortably situated on his unmade bed with a comic in hand. He looked up when Danny came into the room, still smiling as he texted away on his phone.

"Was that your girlfriend or something?" Ralph asked curiously.

"Huh? Oh no, just a friend," Danny responded. "Why do you say that?"

Ralph shrugged. "Ah, it's nothing. You were smiling a lot so I just took a guess."

Danny didn't know how to respond to that.

* * *

"He stalked you."

"I wouldn't say that..."

"He stalked you, Danny," Sam repeated. "He went through your personal files to find out where you lived."

Danny frowned. "It's just an agenda book, Sam," he muttered, picking at the loose thread in his worn jeans.

"Which made its way to you through _stalking_." Sam was getting worked up again.

"...It's a nice agenda book."

Sam threw up her arms in frustration and ended the call.

Tucker's face maximized on Danny's laptop screen. He looked unimpressed.

"You just _had _to tell her."

"Fine, I'm stupid."

* * *

"Are you gonna wear that to the party tonight?" Krystal scrunched up her nose at Danny's shirt and jeans.

"Well, obviously not with that tone of voice, I'm not," Danny frowned and looked at his own outfit critically.

"Would it kill you to dress up once in a while, babydoll?"

Danny stuck out his tongue just to be difficult. "Maybe."

Krystal rolled her eyes and started going through his closet. "Where's that pair of skinny jeans you own?"

"Those are uncomfortable!"

"So? They make you look hot. Shows off your butt." Krystal yanked out the jeans from the dresser and threw them at his head. "Put it on. Don't make me wrestle you into them, sweetie."

Danny looked at Ralph with mock accusation. "Are you gonna let her talk to me like that?" He said and started changing, not caring about undressing in front of his friends now.

"You wanna get laid, don't you?" Ralph laughed and wrapped an arm around Krystal's waist. "Let her make you pretty, Danny."

Danny shook his head with a bemused smile. Ralph and Krystal were...interesting, to say the least. He wasn't sure what the nature of their relationship was, but they seemed to dote on each other a lot. They were also pretty shameless, Danny thought and looked away as Ralph grabbed her boobs with a perverted grin. Krystal let out an indignant squawk and shoved Ralph's head away, but she was smiling like this was some game they always played.

After arguing over which shirt and jacket to make him wear (Krystal insisted on something from Ralph's closet and proceeded to wrestle him into it when he disagreed), Danny was finally ready to step out into the cold November air.

"Hey, you forgot this," Krystal said from behind him and shoved a grey beanie onto his head.

"I don't wear hats," he grumbled and brushed his bangs out of his eyes.

"You do now."

Danny huffed. This party better be worth it.

* * *

Danny swam to consciousness, leaving behind fading dreams of neon lights and sultry smiles. He groaned and turned over in his bed, opening his eyes blearily to his surroundings. Sunlight pierced his pupils and he grunted in pain, rolling over to bury his head underneath his pillow. His head spun and pounded like crazy. Danny felt instant regret.

"Ugh, shut the drapes, dude," he mumbled and grimaced at the dryness of his mouth. How much did he drink last night anyway?

"Sorry." He heard Ralph say. There was the rustling of curtains, and then the walls got washed in the subdued glow of the afternoon.

"What happened?" Danny asked, his voice husky from sleep. "Please tell me I didn't do anything stupid."

"Well..."

Danny's eyes shot open. "Dude, no," he said with dread.

Ralph laughed. "Just messing with you, bro," he teased and handed Danny a cup of coffee and some generic painkillers.

Danny took them graciously. "You suck so much."

"Aw, love you too," Ralph smirked and spun around on his desk chair. "So, you gonna call him?"

"I-what?" He was still dreaming, right?

"That guy you were making out with last night."

"_...What?_" Ralph was definitely fucking with him,_ right?_

"You didn't tell me you're gay."

"I-I'm not?" Danny scrunched up his eyebrows, and then shook his head. "I-I don't know. Never thought that hard about it. Dude, what did I_ do_ last night?"

Ralph looked at him with confusion. "You drank a lot. Didn't take you for a tequila shot kind of guy, but you were grinding up on this one dude pretty hard-"

Danny choked on his water.

"-oh, don't worry, he was into it. You looked _good_, man," Ralph whistled, looking at him proudly.

Danny could shrink into the sheets and disappear. "Oh my God..." he muttered, feeling his face burn.

"But you were _way _too out of it to do anything with anyone, so Krystal and I brought you back here," Ralph smiled and turned back to his laptop. "Shame though, because that guy was really into you. Give him a call, yeah? He wrote his number on your wrist."

Danny turned both of his wrists over quickly. There, on his left one and right over the pulse was a series of numbers in black ink followed by a simple message.

_515-674-4932. Text me._

* * *

To be continued...


	7. Chapter 7

Jazz was aware that she was a one-woman show.

At school, she was the star student. The valedictorian. A leader amongst the students. Too controlling, sometimes? Maybe. Overbearing? Absolutely. But her attitude got her the results she wanted no matter how much her peers grumbled.

At home, Jazz fulfilled roles with a softer edge. The emotional buffer. The self-sufficient homemaker. A second mom. Being stuck in between her parents as a mediator whenever they fought wasn't a child's job, but Jazz made it hers. After all, it was the mature way to behave, the _adult_ thing to do, and Jazz took herself too seriously to see herself as just some _kid_. Her parents raised her to raise herself and then her brother. It was a big responsibility -which should also be her middle name- so who else was better suited to the task?

So, it really threw her for a loop when Danny called her to discuss something that she really should've been more prepared for.

"_Jazz, I think I might be gay." _

Jazz spat out her drink, curling into herself she coughed up her morning orange juice. Her roommate gave her a tissue and quietly mouthed 'what's wrong?', but Jazz just shook her head and walked out into the hallway. This conversation needed a private space.

"Um, come again?" What a plot twist.

"_I went to a party last week and kissed a dude. And my friend said I liked it. I dunno, I was drunk. Anyways, I think I might be gay?" _Danny sounded mildly confused.

"Whoa, whoa, slow down," Jazz soothed, trying to buy herself some time to think. "That's a lot of information at eight in the morning."

"_Yeah, sorry. I just couldn't stop thinking about it." _A pause. _"...Is this weird for you?" _

"I've dealt with our parent's experiments and you having ghost powers, but yes, I'm sure you being gay is gonna be the thing to push me over the edge," Jazz said dryly. "Honestly, little brother, who do you take me for?"

Danny let a stressed-out sound. _"I know, but I really didn't need more stuff on my plate right now." _

Jazz felt the protective side of her kick in, pressuring her to solve this problem, make everything okay. Her little brother was stressed out, she could make room in her schedule, right? She needed a role to fit whatever pillar of support Danny needed at the moment, and Jazz found herself floundering. What should she be?

The psychoanalyst?_ "It is completely natural, Danny. Who you're attracted to is an important cornerstone of your identity, and for years you were deprived of the safe space necessary to figure that out."_

The nagging mom? _"You went to party and kissed a guy? Oh, Danny, why didn't you tell me sooner? That's great! Did you remember to finish your homework before going out to party? Did you use protection?"_

No, Jazz thought, feeling her stomach clench. What Danny needed was a big sister, someone on his side who understood him but didn't preach at him or force him into a corner emotionally. She wasn't always the best at playing that role.

"Y-You know, maybe you don't have to think too hard about it," Jazz stumbled through her words. "Our parents never put too much focus on stuff like that. Maybe that's a good thing. Maybe that's what you need to figure yourself out."

Was that something cool big sisters said?

"_Maybe, it's just weird to have my roommate tell me something about me I didn't even know existed until now. It's throwing me off a bit."_

Jazz nodded along. "Understandable. It's really different to go from crushing on Paulina and Sam to making out with a guy."

A pause._ "Why do people keep saying that? I've never had a crush on Sam." _

"Then what was with all those fake-out make-outs?" Jazz asked, confused. At one point, she was so sure they were endgame that it infuriated her to see Danny take his sweet time asking Sam out.

"_Ugh, you saw us?! We were just-it was never like that!" _She could hear his exasperation over the phone.

"Well, that's...clear to me now," Jazz said dryly.

"_You're the worst." _

Jazz smiled. "Aw, little brother. I love you too."

"_Pfft. Cheesy." _There was a lighthearted chuckle, and then a pause. _"Sorry you had to deal with this. I'm kind of a mess right now and the semester hasn't even ended yet."_

"You're not a mess, Danny," Jazz said, feeling protective again. "Don't think that."

"_No, I am. I've kinda always been, but that's old news." _

"Danny-"

"_I don't know how you do it, Jazz."_

Jazz felt her stomach clench uncomfortably. "Do what?" She asked.

"_How you take care of everyone."_ A resigned sigh. _"You always tried to make sure everyone was okay, even if it meant putting yourself aside. I don't know how you do it without help. You're like Superman."_

She should've argued back. Said something to reassure him that she wasn't perfect and that she didn't always 'have it all together'. But the words remained stuck in her throat uncomfortably like some forbidden secret.

"_I want to be like that too, but I dunno. I just can't do it. I can't be good like you." _

I'm not good, she wanted to say. I do like taking care of everyone, but I'm so_ tired, _she wanted to scream.

Once in a while, I just want someone to take care of me, the little voice within her sobbed.

But Jazz just stayed silent and smiled. She was a one-woman show, and one way or another, the show must go on.

* * *

"Ralph, if you keep blowing smoke in my face, I'm throwing you out of the room."

Ralph pouted and leaned over to crack open a window instead. Smoke from his vape pen slithered out from between his lips to mingle with the air outside, flavored vanilla softening the cool bite of late autumn.

"So serious," he muttered to himself, leafing through his notebook halfheartedly. Midterm preparations had everyone in such a prickly mood, Ralph thought sullenly. "I gave you my heart and my body, and you threaten to kick me out," he griped childishly.

"Of course. My devotion to my GPA is absolute. Compared to my grades, you're just a side piece," Krystal smirked as she typed away on her laptop.

"_Betrayal! Subterfuge!_" Ralph wailed dramatically and clung onto Danny. "A seething corruption hath seized my very being, brought onto me by thy wicked sorcery, _witch_!"

"Will you stop? Dude, it's so cold out, close the window," Danny complained and grabbed the blanket off of his bed to wrap around himself. "Why are you so calm about this anyway? You have a paper due in twelve hours."

Ralph blew out another breath of vanilla vapors. "If I fake a family emergency again, do you think I can wheedle another extension out of Quinton?" He asked.

"Give it a rest, man," Danny groaned. "Professor Quinton's not gonna give out any more extensions. He also said if your grandpa dies one more time, he wants to see the body. He's caught onto your BS, you know."

Krystal snorted in amusement from her place on the bed.

In order for college students to earn their winter break, a series of trials and tribulations were set in place to test the extent of their desperation for home-cooked food. Kind of like the Odyssey. Except more depressing, with mac and cheese cups, stale coffee, and _a lot_ of weed to take the edge off. This year, exams were scheduled back-to-back so strategically, that Danny was sure the professors were seeking some sort of personal revenge.

He thought high school was bad, but a few days into his classes revealed how much college professors _didn't give a fuck. _After witnessing a classmate of his get brutally shut down for trying to hand in late homework, Danny came to the sobering realization that he _really_ couldn't afford to fuck this up.

Especially not when exams were 60% percent of his final grade. _60%_. Jesus Christ.

"Professor Lin said we could bring a cheat sheet into the exam, right? Like with all the equations and shit," Danny muttered as he searched for his physics notes.

"What do you think I've been doing for the past hour?" Krystal said, her tone a bit brusque. "I'm trying to cram as much as I can onto this word document. I'm down to a size eight font size."

"I'll give you four ramen packets for a copy of that."

"Or..." Krystal smiled mischievously. "You can pay me back by going on a date with that guy."

"I take back my ramen packets," Danny said flatly. "Can we _please_ not with this right now?"

"It's break time," Krystal retorted and threw her laptop aside to rummage through Danny and Ralph's stash of emergency food supplies. She cheered triumphantly when her hand closed around a mac and cheese cup. "So, what's it gonna be, pretty boy? You down to clown or what?"

Danny sighed. "I've been toying with the idea, but it's been weeks. He probably forgot about me," he said. "Hand me those chips."

Krystal tossed him a bag and gave Ralph the side-eye. "From where we were standing, he seemed _real_ excited with you."

"Ugh, perverts."

"You never questioned it, have you? Your sexuality," Krystal said.

"Trust me, I barely had time to sleep let alone question things like that," Danny said. "And let's just say, I wasn't exactly popular enough to really be a chick magnet...or a guy magnet."

Ralph hummed thoughtfully. "But that's high school. Nobody truly awesome ever peak in high school."

"Thanks, man," Danny smiled and reached over for a high five. Ralph grabbed onto his hand and immediately tried to engage Danny in a thumb-war. There was a lot of giggling.

"I'm just saying, why not give it a shot?" Krystal rolled her eyes at their juvenile antics. "You're not in high school anymore, and people are interested in you. If you ask this guy out, at the very least, you'll get an answer."

From the floor, Danny shrugged and then groaned as Ralph successfully pinned his thumb for more than three seconds.

"By the way, I still want those ramen packets."

* * *

He was having second thoughts.

Danny nervously sipped his coffee, looking up anxiously every time someone walked through the doors of the little café. He was _so_ close to the finish line; only two more exams to go and he's been so focused despite the stress. But then the weather suddenly warmed up over the weekend and Danny decided to crawl out from the basement library for some of that sunlight. A little break wouldn't hurt, he thought to himself, and somewhere between the much-needed sunbathing and mental exhaustion, Krystal got into his head.

_Why not give it a shot? If you ask this guy out, at the very least, you'll get an answer. _

So, he caved and texted the guy.

And now he was sitting here on a Sunday, in the corner of the campus coffee shop, and trying to make his leg stop shaking.

"Hello, stranger."

Danny could feel his heart jump into his throat. He spun around in his chair to see a rather tall and sturdy guy in a brown flannel and paint-speckled jeans. Somewhere in his alcohol-induced past memory, Danny recognized the sandy brown hair and green eyes.

_Oh no, he's hot. _"Crap," he blurted out loud.

"Ouch, usually people call me Nick," Nick said with a laugh and took a seat across from him.

"Oh no, I-uh-I didn't mean it like that," Danny stumbled. "It's-sorry."

"Relax, I'm just teasing," Nick said good-naturedly. "I'm surprised you texted me. I was beginning to think this was a one-time thing. I wanted to reach out, but then I remembered I never got your number. I thought I could look you up on Facebook, but I didn't know your name! I really thought I made a mess of it."

"Honestly, I didn't know if you were even sober enough to remember what we did," Danny said. "Or if you did, maybe you thought it was too weird?"

"Why would I think that? I let you do them to me, didn't I?" Nick said deviously, chuckling when Danny squirmed in his seat. "Plus, if I thought it was weird, I wouldn't be here right now."

"That's fair," Danny smiled.

"Although, I have to ask," Nick mused. "You ever been on a date with a guy before?"

"I've...never been on a date before," Danny confessed. "Not sure what the protocol is."

Nick's eyebrows shot up to his hairline. "Never?"

Danny shrugged and nodded.

If Nick thought that was strange, he didn't question it. "Well, maybe I can start with a little self-promo," he said and cleared his throat. "I'm Nick. I'm a senior here, and after changing my major three times and pissing off my advisor, I've finally decided on architecture with a minor in painting. People always assume I'm older than I actually am, they also think I'm a townie. Maybe it's the scruff-"

Danny chuckled. "I think it's that and the heavy flannel jacket."

"But it's my favorite one!" Nick pouted. "The plus side is that I never get carded at bars, even though I grew up only two miles South from here. You think they would recognize me, but everyone just assumes I look thirty. Anyways, old ladies love me. They call me sensible-"

"You do have that sweet and simple vibe of a local at an organic farmer's market."

Nick busted out laughing. "What does that even mean?!"

"You know, wholesome living, grow everything yourself, 'the price is the price' sort of gruff fellow," Danny teased. "Old ladies love those types."

"I do tend to my family's Christmas tree farm," Nick added proudly. "Been in the family since 1949."

"_And _you run a family farm? That's a panty-melter right there."

"Well, if that impresses you," Nick said. "I can also cook...three dishes, if you're counting. And if you let me take you on a second or third date then maybe we can find out what they are?"

"Oh, we're jumping right to second date?" Danny asked, amused.

Nick shrugged. "Well, since we already had coffee today, and coffee is one of the three dishes I can make, I'm hoping you'll say yes?"

Danny was no longer having second thoughts.

* * *

"Your visits are too few, Daniel. I take it that you've been busy lately?"

Danny groaned from the floor. "Midterms are kicking my ass."

"Language, Daniel," Vlad scolded, but his tone lacked bite. Danny rolled his eyes and gave a stink-eye at the man sitting comfortably in the antique chair, posture relaxed and unbothered. Danny's gaze turned thoughtful as he looked at him, noticing the way the light glinted delicately off the silver frames of Vlad's glasses. He looked stately even dressed down, Danny thought to himself, like a sophisticated gentleman who didn't try but still looked good. Effortless. No fuss. Danny nodded approvingly; he would choose weekend Vlad over weekday Vlad at any time, because weekend Vlad meant casual Vlad, comfy-cashmere-sweater Vlad, silver-hair-loose-like-waves Vlad, and sitting-by-the-fire-with-tea Vlad.

Danny hummed in contentment and dragged the throw pillows onto the floor for extra cushioning. Vlad frowned in disapproval at his precious two-hundred-dollar cushions being treated so poorly, but Danny just snickered and rubbed his face into one of them to mess with the man.

Vlad huffed and instead poured himself some tea. "I can only hope that your exams went well?" He asked from his place in the armchair. From Danny's position, the man looked like an expensive antique painting.

He felt mischievous. "If I fail, can I move in with you and be a freeloader for life?"

"Hardly seems like I'm getting the better end of the deal here."

Danny snickered. "Aw, pretty please? I promise to keep the house clean and have dinner on the table by five, darling."

"For the sake of my personal safety, I think it's best if Fentons are kept out of the kitchen entirely," Vlad retorted dryly.

"I'll have you know my roommate lets me make our ramen because I'm just _that good_. But fine, I'll just drop out of college, get into it with a bad crowd, and inevitably become a stripper to pay my bills."

"Daniel!"

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Danny backpedaled quickly. "Have a sense of humor, Vlad."

"Years of dealing with you have bled me of my ability to laugh at your nonsense," Vlad snapped.

"Pfft. You like my nonsense, fruitloop," Danny laughed and laid down fully on the cushions. From his upside-down vision, Vlad coughed awkwardly into his fist and continued drinking his tea. If he blushed, it was masked by the warm glows of the burning ember in the fireplace. The boy was really getting too cocky for his own good, Vlad thought to himself.

Or perhaps, he was giving himself away too much. The older man gazed at Danny fiddling away on his phone, no doubt texting his friends and family about winter break plans. He seemed so very much at home here, and the fortress no longer felt quite as lonely with the young man in it. When had this become so normal that Vlad had come to even expect it? This was meant to be temporary.

"Hey Vlad, you got plans for winter break?"

"Not really," Vlad responded nonchalantly. "Not that it's an open invitation for you to rope me into whatever shenanigans you have planned."

"Relax," Danny said and rolled his eyes. "My family and I go up to this ski lodge every winter for the holidays. We go all out with the snowball fights and ugly Christmas sweaters-"

"Hn. Gross."

"_Anyways_, you want to come with us this year? My dad's a member there so we can upgrade to a cabin with an extra room."

Vlad chuckled, but it was the rueful sort of chuckle that made Danny furrow his eyebrows and insist that he was serious.

"I'm serious. Come with us," he said.

"I appreciate the invitation, Daniel, but I hardly think my presence will make the holidays more enjoyable for your family," Vlad said.

"No one should spend Christmas alone, fruitloop or not," Danny pressed. "Invitation's open if you want it. Just saying. I'll even let you cut your own firewood."

Vlad smiled sincerely, but showed no visible sign of giving in. "I'll think about it."

* * *

"So Ralph's going with you to your family's place. Isn't that a little soon?" Danny said as they waited for their parents in the courtyard. Maddie and Jack promised they were driving to pick him up, while Jazz was flying directly from California to meet them at home. Danny felt excited at the thought of spending Christmas with the family; he really missed their craziness.

"Nah, I'm cool with it," Krystal replied. "He follows me around like a little puppy. It's cute. His folks aren't exactly uh...festive people, so he's not missing out on anything."

Danny felt his curiosity peak, but didn't want to push for details. "That's cool," he said instead.

"Hey, Danny!" Someone called from across the courtyard. Danny and Krystal turned around to see a familiar figure running towards them.

"Nick?"

"Hey, just wanted to see you off," he panted and Danny felt his stomach do a flip-flop.

"That's nice of you," Danny smiled. Krystal snickered somewhere behind him. He was definitely blushing. "You sticking around town?"

"Only place I can be," Nick laughed, but Danny detected an undertone of...something. "My folks expect me home every holiday. Gotta go mind our tree farm."

That piqued Krystal's interest. "Do you just sell them, or do you cut them down and do all the heavy lifting?" she butted in.

"Oh, I cut them and load them onto people's trucks," Nick said innocently.

"Oh my god," Danny muttered, ear reddening. Heavy lifting meant strong arms. "Krystal, get outta here."

Someone in the distance called Nick's name, and he hollered back an affirmative.

"I gotta go," he said. "I'll see you once we're back on campus?"

Danny nodded. "Sounds good."

"Have a good holiday with your folks."

"You too," Danny smiled and stepped forward to give him a casual hug, but Nick's arms came up too fast and nearly gave him a black eye. They both laughed nervously, dancing around each other awkwardly until Nick finally managed to wrap his arms around Danny to give him a proper hug.

"Bye," they said in unison, blushing hard. Nick backed away with a silly smile on his face, tripped over his own feet, and ran back to his group of friends.

"That was painful to watch," Krystal said wryly.

"Shut up," Danny retorted and elbowed her lightly.

The student body gradually started to thin out as parents came to pick them up. Krystal went off to find Ralph so she wouldn't accidentally leave without him. Danny rubbed his hands together as he waited by his suitcase. He made mom promise to bring the regular minivan this time, if only to salvage what was left of his reputation. He couldn't go through another RV incident again.

Danny dug his phone out of his pocket; in all the commotion of studying and packing at the last minute, he'd forgotten to text Vlad to update him.

"Who are you texting?" Krystal asked casually, her arm looped around Ralph's.

"Huh? Oh, a friend back home," Danny answered, tapping away. "Just confirming some stuff."

_Tests are finally over. Parents picking me up today. _

The response came mere minutes later.

_Have a safe trip home, _Vlad responded. _Keep an eye on your father. Wouldn't want any car accidents._

Danny snorted.

_Rude. He has a spotless record...really hoped that you would accept our invite tho..._

_Last minute work changes, I'm afraid. Would it kill you to learn how to spell properly? _

_Yas._

A pause.

_Cheeky. Enjoy your break, little badger._

* * *

_Bloop. _

Vlad frowned and looked up from his paperwork. Was that his phone just now? He reached for it and turned on the screen, staring at the yellow ghost icon that popped up. What was this? He didn't remember downloading anything like _this_.

He unlocked his phone and clicked on the notification anyway.

_Danny07 added you as a friend._

Vlad could only assume that it was Daniel who downloaded the app on his phone without his knowledge, and was now finding new ways to bother him. Nevertheless, he pressed the 'accept' button to appease the young man.

Curious to know what name Danny had given him, Vlad clicked around to check for his own username, only to snort in amusement when he found it.

_phantom_tollbooth. _Clever.

_Bloop. _

_Snap from Danny07. _

Vlad clicked on it with curiosity.

A slightly blurry photo of Daniel at the ski slopes showed up. He was making a face into the camera, while his parents and sister were in the background struggling with their skis. Jack looked like he was a second away from falling backwards like some idiot, and the ladies held onto each other as they tried to balance. Everyone was smiling and having a great time.

'_HEY FRUITLOOP. YOU JEALOUS?!' _read the caption.

Vlad chuckled at the silliness of the picture and typed back a response.

_Glad you're enjoying yourself, little badger. _

While Danny insisted that he'd be there, Vlad hadn't felt right about intruding. It was the kid's first vacation home from college, after all, and Vlad wanted Danny to spend it with his family since he couldn't see them all the time now.

Vlad exited out of the app and set his phone back down, once again directing his focus to company matters. It was a good thing that he stayed behind in the end, because this merger meeting wasn't going to prepare itself.

_Bloop._

...

_Bloop._

_..._

_Bloop._

"Oh, butter biscuits! What in the blazes is so pressing?!" Millennials were so attached to their phones nowadays. Vlad was beginning to regret this already.

Two messages and a picture awaited him, and Vlad had half a mind to ban this app from his phone forever.

_Hell yea! After the finals I had I need this _

_Btw, I checked my grades last night...ALL As BABY!1! _

Vlad felt his heart swell with pride despite his initial aggravation. He clicked on the picture and waited for it to load, only to have his heart skip a beat when he saw it.

Danny was smiling at him through the screen, light blue eyes framed by long lashes and alighted with mirth. His nose and cheeks were dusted in soft pink, courtesy of the cold weather outside. Against the snowy backdrop and snowflakes in his dark hair, Danny looked, well, delicately graceful (as Vlad would put it).

'_miss you here, fruitloop. :('_ read the caption.

Vlad stared at the picture, mesmerized by Danny's light blue gaze.

_phantom_tollbooth took a screenshot._

* * *

To be continued...


	8. Chapter 8

No matter where life took him, Nasty Burger always had a way of bringing him back to his roots.

"Danny, that's nasty," Sam wrinkled her nose at the heart attack-inducing concoction he ordered. She picked at her own simple veggie burger halfheartedly, her taste buds now too mature to consume such overly salty foods. "I don't know how I was okay with eating this back in high school."

"Ah, Sam, it's not a trip to Nasty Burger if you're not here to judge me for my life choices," Danny teased and took a giant bite of his triple-decker cheeseburger, complete with all sorts of condiments and veggie filling.

"Of _course_, you would come back from the East coast a complete culinary snob," Tucker scoffed and held up his burger, a triple patty with three-cheese filling complete with curly fries, bacon bits, and barbecue sauce. "This is _art_, Samantha Manson."

"This is a quadruple bypass waiting to happen," Sam said flatly. "But I guess it's good to see you guys haven't changed much at all."

"We love you too, Sam," Tucker smiled.

It's been a while since the three got together, and Danny was eager to catch up with his best friends to see how they were doing, and maybe offer up some news of his own. Sam grew out her hair and changed up her look, something to do with her interest in witchcraft lately. Tucker tried out cornrows and finally ditched the red beret, but his glasses still had the same thick frames and fogged up every time he leaned close to hot foods. But no matter how much they changed on the outside, Danny took comfort in the fact that they still talked to each other like no time has passed.

As for Danny...

"What? We didn't even know you swung that way!"

"You should thank me. I got your 'exploration with girls' phase out of the way early," Sam smirked and winked at Danny. "Not into it, huh?"

"Hey, I'm still fully into girls!" Danny said defensively. "I just realized that I may also be into guys."

"I feel slightly rejected," Tucker pouted mockingly. "Sam got kisses, but I did nothing for ya? I thought we had something special."

"_You _wore a beret," Danny deadpanned. "_You _don't get to be kissed for your wardrobe choices."

"Okay, I may have outgrown the beret, but the beret has _feelings_."

Sam was feeling impatient. "Show us a picture of the guy!" She insisted. "C'mon, let's see if he passes the best friend inspection."

"Fine, fine," Danny conceded and took out his phone. He found one of his favorite pictures of them together, a simple selfie on Snapchat. Nick had his arm around Danny and they were both smiling at the camera. Sam and Tucker huddled closer to take a better look.

"He's...kinda Dash-like," Tucker observed. "Very small-town football player kind of vibe."

"Handsome, no doubt," Sam nodded along. "If we were in high school right now, he'd be pulling out our underwear."

Tucker snickered. "Yeah, but I bet Danny will probably like that now."

"You guys are the worst," Danny laughed and tossed a fry in Tucker's direction. "He's a good guy, layoff."

"We're just teasing," Sam laughed. "Seriously though, if he makes you happy then that's great."

"Yeah..." Danny smiled and tucked the picture away on his camera roll. A few notifications popped up to get his attention, and he tapped on it to see what they were. Probably Ralph goofing off, or Jazz taking another picture of her crowded desk for a #burningthemidnightoil moment.

_phantom_tollbooth took a screenshot. _

Danny stared at the notification under the second image he sent. The picture was also replayed twice, and while that could've easily just been Vlad trying to figure out the app, the screenshot itself implied something else.

He felt himself getting a bit flustered. Admittedly, it took him a few vain attempts to get a good angle so he could get a decent photo of himself –and it was a _pretty good_ photo, in his opinion- he was just...surprised that Vlad agreed enough to actually save it in his camera roll.

"Danny?" Sam asked. "What about you? Want to go snow tubing down that giant hill in the park?"

"Yeah," he pocketed the phone quickly and gathered up his burger wrappers to throw into the trash. "Sure, that sounds fun."

It was probably normal, he thought to himself as he stepped outside with his friends. Vlad saved a lot of pictures of his family. Even though he wasn't on the best terms with Danny's dad, there were still enough photos saved to fill an album or two. Perhaps it was because his mother was in most, if not _all_, of them; Vlad's obsession with her was well-known and old news at this point.

However, she definitely wasn't in _this_ one.

It was probably just a coincidence, Danny reassured himself. But he couldn't help but be a bit distracted for the rest of the day.

* * *

"So, I went to visit the professor at his office hours instead, and he was way better at explaining the material one-on-one. He even gave me a tour of his lab! I might consider it actually, being a technician," Danny rambled on happily through the phone. "His research is really interesting, and he said with my background I might be of help to him."

"_That sounds like a good opportunity,"_ Vlad said. _"You should consider taking it. Most labs don't make it a habit to take on freshman interns." _

"Why not?"

"_Ah, consider yourselves occupational hazards." _Danny could hear the smirk in his voice. _"Highly unpredictable and tough to train, and usually end up not being all that useful in the end."_

"Speaking on behalf of freshmen everywhere, that is an unfair generalization," Danny argued back. "And in my personal experience, I would say there are no bad students, only bad teachers."

"_Oh, should I take that as a compliment for my endless contributions to your academic success?" _

"No, I'm just saying that Mr. Lancer was actually that _bad_."

Vlad laughed, a sharp burst of sound that he couldn't keep contained within him. Danny felt oddly proud of himself and rested his chin on one hand, his homework temporarily forgotten.

"_Impudent and cheeky as ever, I see. I take it from your good mood that classes are going well?" _

"I guess you could say that," Danny shrugged. "The workload's a lot, but I still find time to go to the occasional party here or there to let loose. So, it's not all bad."

"_You're partying." _Vlad was surprised. _"That's a precarious balance to maintain." _

"It's just a party here or there, fruitloop. It doesn't mean I'm gonna let my grades tank."

"_Hm. The road to academic probation is paved with good intentions, and often starts with naïve promises of 'just a party here or there'." _Vlad's tone was loaded with underlying tension, and Danny felt on edge immediately.

"Will you relax?" He sighed and started picking at his nails. A nervous habit. "And what are you saying, that I can't discipline myself? I've been doing just fine."

A pause. _"I'm just saying that maybe you should think about your parents, who's paying for your tuition."_

Vlad had tried, again and again, to offer to pay for Danny's tuition, but his generous gestures were repeatedly rebuffed by his mother. While University of Michigan wasn't the most expensive school, and Danny had some financial aid to help him out, his parents still had to shell out a pretty penny.

It was something that Danny felt quite insecure and guilty about, the money his parents had to pay out of pocket. It didn't help that Vlad knew this and was now using it against him.

"This isn't fair," he said. "I'm working hard, I'm earning the grades, I should be allowed a night off once in a while."

"_Imagine what you can achieve if you devoted all that free time to a useful project." _

"Yes, but I can't just keep working non-stop like you do," Danny said defensively. "Why are you making this such a big deal?"

"_I'm simply looking out for you, Daniel." _And there it was.

"I know, but somehow it just makes me feel like crap," Danny muttered, a nauseous feeling in his stomach. "I have to go."

"_Daniel-"_

Danny hung up and threw the cellphone on his bed, guilt and anger eating at him from the inside. One way or another, Vlad always found a way to get to him.

* * *

The professor droned on and on about centrifugal versus centripetal force, but Danny couldn't find it in himself to really focus. His phone vibrated against his thigh, notifying him about another text. He knew exactly who it was from; Vlad had been relentless in his attempts to contact him, but Danny was still too annoyed to answer any of his calls and messages.

_Maybe you should think about your parents, who's paying for your tuition._

"Damn it, Vlad," he muttered under his breath.

"You say something?" Ralph looked over and whispered.

"Nah," Danny replied with a shake of his head. "Just a bit tired."

"Forgot to tell you. There's a party tonight at the senior dorms," Ralph continued. "You in or what?"

Any other night, Danny would've contemplated on going. However, the phone conversation between him and Vlad had put him in a permanent bad mood for the better part of the week now. The only fun time he wanted to have tonight consisted of Netflix and a bottle of Nutella.

"Maybe not tonight, not really in the mood," he whispered back.

Ralph just shrugged and kept doodling in his notebook.

* * *

"You have a bio quiz in an hour and you didn't even study! How are you not shitting your pants right now?!" Krystal yelled.

"Blame the weed. Haven't been able to poop in two days," Ralph said from his place on the floor, unnaturally chill about the whole situation. His pajama pants were unwashed, riding up his crotch in an awkward way. Smoke rings littered the air and filled the room with the musky scent of cheap marijuana. Ralph hummed, mind not quite there, and traced patterns in the smoke with his finger.

Krystal glowered at her boyfriend. "Ralph, stop smoking that shit, that dealer of yours is crap."

"Seriously, man," Danny said and choked on a mouthful of weed smell. "I don't smoke that stuff but even I can tell the smell is off."

"See? Give me the rest of that stuff. You're done." Krystal walked over and started rifling violently through Ralph's desk.

Ralph looked over at Danny, dazed and out of it. "Et tu, Bruté?"

Danny was starting to get really worried about him. "Dude, you gotta cool it with that stuff," he said.

"Ralph, give me the weed!"

"Fuck off, Krystal!" Ralph suddenly raised his voice and stood up, shocking Danny. "Can you stop hassling me already?!"

"Don't tell me to fuck off, Ralph. You know what, _fuck you!_ Just fucking sit there and smoke your life away!"

"I rather smoke my life away than listen to your fucking nagging for _one more second!_"

Danny quietly slipped out the door with his phone. The sounds of their fighting reverberated through the hallway, drawing attention of nearby dormmates.

"What's going on in there?" Someone asked. Danny recognized the guy as one of his neighbors.

"Couple's quarrel," he answered and shrugged his shoulders. "Wear headphones."

"Jesus..." the guy muttered before walking away.

Danny shuffled in front of his door, not knowing whether to wait it out like a creep or go elsewhere. He had never seen them fight like that, going at each other's throats with so much animosity. They have always been such a lowkey couple, really chill and laidback. It was unsettling to see otherwise. And Ralph...Danny didn't know the guy was even capable of losing his temper like that.

It was probably a good idea to make himself scarce for now, Danny decided, but felt too awkward to go back in to grab a change of clothes. He accepted his fate and took out his phone instead.

_Hey, Nick, any chance I can crash at your place? There's a war brewing over here._

The response was immediate.

_Sure lol. I'll cook my famous third meal for you._

* * *

"For the last time, toasted pop tart is not a meal!"

"It is so!" Nick said defensively. "You're just disagreeing because you're a snob."

"I ate my pasta last night with a metal bookmark, because I was too lazy to go back to the cafeteria to get a fork," Danny chuckled. "If you think I'm a snob your expectations are far too low. I should feel bad for you. _You_ should feel bad for _yourself_!"

"You're right, you're a _slob,_ is what you are," Nick teased and ruffled Danny's hair before reaching for his hand. Danny let his fingers slip between Nick's larger ones, his face still warm from the novelty of the gesture. He was beginning to understand why his peers were so obsessed with dating now. This was nice.

"Thank you. That's the accurate depiction of me I wanted to hear," Danny said cheekily.

"Hm. But pop tart is still considered a meal."

Danny shoulder-checked him playfully. "Is not!"

They slowed as they neared the freshman dorms, dragging out the minutes before they have to go their separate ways. Being with Nick was just _really_ easy, Danny realized as he half-listened to Nick chattering away about some football game...something about the Detroit Lions, he wasn't sure (he really should pay more attention to football since he seemed to hang around men who liked it so much). Something about the effortlessness of their connection made Danny appreciative; he remembered all too clearly how disastrous his 'almost-relationship' with Valerie was...he never had much luck with romance it seemed.

A familiar figure by the dormitories caused Danny to freeze in his footsteps and bat Nick's hand away. "Vlad?" His heart was pounding anxiously. "What are you doing here?"

The response was rife with sarcasm. "Did I catch you at a bad time?" Vlad's expression was stoic, but Danny could tell the man was angry.

"Sorry, I was busy," he replied, but Vlad's hardened gaze made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up in warning.

"Hm, I'm sure you are. College offers quite a _spectrum_ of experiences, after all," Vlad sneered, his eyes flickered to Nick briefly, as if looking at him was a waste of time.

Nick was uncomfortable with the icy reception, but stepped forward anyway to introduce himself. "Hi, I'm Nick. It's nice to meet you," he said politely and stretched out his hand. "And you are...?"

"No need to concern yourself, young man. We won't meet again," Vlad said brusquely, and Nick flinched back as if slapped. Harsh.

"Vlad!" Danny finally found his bearings and snapped back. "Stop that, I'm serious. Don't make a scene."

The stare-down that followed was suffocating and tense. "A word in private," Vlad finally said. "_Now._"

Danny scowled deeply, but knew there was nowhere to run this time. He turned to Nick with an apologetic look on his face. "Can you give us a minute? It won't take long," he said.

"Actually, it's okay. I gotta head back anyways," Nick smiled reassuringly. "I'll call you later?"

Danny nodded. Nick leaned in for a kiss, but felt Danny freeze up instantly. Somewhere behind him, Nick could feel eyes burning with rage. "I'll...see you later," he said instead and hugged Danny before leaving, leaving the two behind in uncomfortable silence.

Vlad didn't utter a word, but a storm was brewing within his eyes, furious and devastating.

"So, that's why you've been screening my calls." There was an edge to his voice that made Danny flinch. "I'm surprised, Daniel. I didn't realize your taste was so...Midwestern polite."

"I don't want to be insulted by you," Danny muttered. "What do you _want_, Vlad?"

"A more conscientious attitude, for one," Vlad sneered. "Did you forget that you did an internship at one of my labs? Where's the computational data you analyzed before you left? You're holding up the possibility of a publication."

"I did them, but then we changed the parameters for analysis, so I had to re-do them, remember?" Danny gritted his teeth. "It's taking a while, but I'll get it done. This could've been an email, you know."

"If only it were that easy," Vlad narrowed his eyes. "Getting ahold of you has been a very trying task."

"I _told_ you I was busy."

"Aren't we all. Imagine being a CEO of a Fortune 500 company and chasing after an unpaid intern for the better part of two weeks. It's rather beneath my paygrade, don't you think?"

Danny took a deep breath and tried to keep his voice steady. He wasn't going to be baited into a shouting match. "If you didn't want to deal with me, just send your secretary or something. I would've responded."

"You would have? Now I'm confused. I thought you said you were busy," Vlad chuckled, but it was devoid of warmth. He hands found his coat pockets as he casually back away, his lips twisted into a cruel smile. He regarded Danny critically, his figure melting into the shadows. "I want those data figures by this Friday."

Danny resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Fine."

"And Daniel..." Vlad whispered into the wind, his human form fading into thin air. Danny could feel the critical judgment of his voice in his ear. "You're an adult now. Might want to learn how to lie better, hm?"

* * *

Danny was heading towards his writing composition class when his phone started buzzing in his pocket.

He frowned at the unknown number and immediately felt tempted to reject the call; class was starting in five minutes and he hardly had time to dawdle. But something about the area code looked strangely familiar and Danny almost slapped himself when the memory finally clicked.

It was coming from Wisconsin.

His frown turned into a scowl at the thought of the man he associated with that place. This could be Vlad's company number, not that Danny would know since he never bothered to save it in his contacts. If it was then it was a really underhanded thing to do, tricking him into picking up the phone like this.

Danny hesitated, his thumb hovering over the reject button. Or maybe Vlad finally took the hint and sent his secretary to bug him instead. If that was the case then it would be really unprofessional to drag her into their mess by playing cat-and-mouse again.

He accepted the call and put it up to his ear. This had better be important. "Hello?"

"_Hello, is this Mr. Daniel Fenton?" _

"Yes, who's this?"

"_This is Regina Novak from St. Vincent's Medical Center. I'm calling you because you're the emergency contact for Vlad Masters. There's been an accident."_

* * *

To be continued...


	9. Chapter 9

Danny took off running towards the stairs, shoving past students and ignoring their cries of complaint.

"_There was a car accident on route 98. We believe that Mr. Master's vehicle most likely got side-swiped while he was driving in the fast lane." _

"Danny, where are you going? Class is this way!" Nick called out after him.

He didn't even process what he said back, it was probably all nonsense anyway. But Nick flew out of his head quickly as Danny ran down the small side roads in between the humanities buildings, looking for secluded spots where he can transform without being seen.

"_He's a little roughed up, but showed no signs of internal injuries. But we would like to keep Mr. Masters overnight for observation just to be safe."_

This wasn't supposed to happen, Danny panicked. Not to Vlad, definitely not to _Plasmius_. People like him didn't just _get_ into accidents like any stranger on street. He was too sharp and put-together for that. He was _Vlad_, for God's sake.

"_However, Mr. Masters has demanded to be discharged later today. I feel this is unwise, so I wanted to call you to see if you can come and possibly talk some sense into him."_

Keep him there no matter what. Tie him down to the bed if that's what it takes, Danny had said before he hung up. Wisconsin was just one state over, and Danny had gotten pretty fast in his ghost form. Within seconds of transforming, he was up in the air and speeding toward the general direction of the state border.

It wasn't long before Danny was running through the automatic doors of St. Vincent's and making a beeline for the front desk.

"Vlad Masters!" He blurted out, slapping his hands onto the counter.

The nurse gave him a bored look and typed the name into the system. "Room 284," he drawled.

Danny took off in the direction of the elevators, his heart hammering against his chest.

Vlad and the nurse were already making painfully strained conversation when Danny stopped at the doorway to catch his breath, a feeling of relief washing through him to see Vlad irate and impatient but okay.

He was _okay_.

"I hardly think this is necessary." Vlad had his arms crossed, clearly not feeling cooperative.

"It's the recommended protocol, Mr. Masters," the nurse said curtly. "I strongly urge you to stay the night for your own safety. At least if you're here, we can watch over you-"

"Please, I am not a child nor an invalid. I know my own body well enough to decide for myself."

"You're such an ingrate. Can't you listen to professional medical advice just once in your life?" Danny frowned and walked in, closing the door behind him.

The nurse turned around, relief visible on her face. "Oh, Mr. Fenton, you came just at the right time!"

Vlad stood rooted to the spot. "Daniel, what are you doing here?" He sounded genuinely surprised.

"Saving you from yourself," Danny replied. "You're staying overnight, Vlad, and that's final. I'll keep you trapped here myself if I have to."

Vlad just stood there, speechless. He could talk himself out of this if he wanted to, he knew. But the shock of seeing Danny here gripped him and kept him from opening his mouth. The boy was _here_. To make sure he was alright. Vlad felt the coldness within him melt.

"Is he currently on any medication I should know about?" Vlad heard the nurse ask Danny.

"Ah, yeah." The boy furrowed his brows as he tried to remember. "He takes an Ambien before bed every night and is on Vitamin D supplements because he never leaves his office." Vlad was dumbfounded. "Oh, and he was on Percocet a year ago due to physical overexertion but he's off that stuff now, I think. And also, he's allergic to pineapples."

The nurse nodded along, writing everything down. "Is that all?"

"No," Vlad said, clearing his throat. "Ask them when I can leave."

"Ignore him," Danny stage-whispered to the nurse, who smiled and quickly left the room.

The click of the door shutting left the two in standing there in silence. Danny wrung his hands anxiously before walking over to the cabinets to search for some hospital gowns, his eyes not meeting Vlad's for a moment.

"I don't need to be coddled, Daniel, I'm fine," Vlad said quietly, but started unbuttoning his shirt anyways.

Danny took in the rumpled state of his garment and frowned. "You don't look fine," he muttered, walking back with a set of pale green hospital pajamas. "Vlad Masters wouldn't be caught dead in public wearing a wrinkled shirt."

Vlad's lips twitched with amusement. "My transgression doesn't leave this room, you hear?" He said and shrugged off his shirt with a wince. A trail of blotchy red and purple bruises revealed themselves, crawling along the man's arm, over his shoulder, and down his back. Danny's eyes traced its path with growing concern, lightly brushing his fingers across a litter of bruises on Vlad's torso -definitely from the seatbelt, Danny thought- and jerking away when the man hissed in pain.

"Vlad," Danny croaked. "This is _not_ fine."

"It will be," Vlad insisted and dropped his voice to a low whisper. "You know how fast we heal, Daniel. This is nothing."

Danny helped him into the shirt, lifting his arm gently to slip into the sleeve. "Still," he argued. "This is wearing on your human form. Don't forget that you had to rely on Percocet pills last year after that ghost threw you through the roof. You had those back pains for like, two months."

"Not exactly me at my best, I'm afraid," Vlad hummed as he buttoned himself back up, hiding his sturdy build beneath baggy clothes. "Unfortunately, I may have to go back on them after this."

"I really wish you wouldn't. They're not good for you," Danny said in mild disapproval, holding Vlad steady as he tried to sit down on the bed. A few of his joints cracked from the strain, and Danny briefly wondered if the man fractured something.

"It's America, everybody takes drugs," Vlad grunted as he sat on the bed. "I'm in my mid-forties, am I not allowed to have joy?"

"No, find joy elsewhere," Danny retorted and held out the pair of pants expectantly. Vlad looked at him with a raised eyebrow, waiting for some privacy. Danny rolled his eyes and refused to budge. "C'mon, fruitloop, we're both men. What's the big deal?"

He immediately regretted it seconds later.

"You got bruises on your legs too?! And you wanted to go home like this?!"

Getting comfortable took a while, with Vlad complaining about the mattress quality and Danny insisting on fluffing all of the pillows. But they eventually settled down with Vlad's bruised back supported with enough cushioning. Danny pulled up a chair and sat down beside him, the adrenaline rush from the day's events wearing off and leaving him drained. Yet despite his exhaustion, something weighed on Danny's mind.

"Why do you have me as your emergency contact?" He asked, resting his chin in his hand.

Vlad massaged his scalp with his hands, freeing his hair from the confines of the hair tie. "Why not?"

Danny shrugged. "I'm just surprised you didn't use my parent's number, or at least my mother's."

"Why would I when I get to see your concerned face, little badger?" Vlad said suavely, doing that charming thing he always did when he wanted to dodge a real conversation. Danny shot him a look, but decided not to push it for now.

"They're gonna hook you up with an IV in a minute," he said instead to occupy the silence. "I hope you're not hungry, because they're putting you on a liquid diet...said something about an MRI scan to make sure you don't have internal damage. Are you okay with that?"

"Yes, Daniel, I'm aware," Vlad said, bitterness seeping through his voice. "I've quite the extensive experience with the hospitalization process, after all."

Oh. _Oh._

"Was it _this_ hospital?" Danny asked, looking around alarmingly. No wonder Vlad was so adamant about getting out of here, he thought. If hell was a real place, then this came pretty close for the man.

Vlad was silent, but that was enough of an answer for Danny, who suddenly felt a deep sympathy for him. To be confined in a sterile environment, disfigured and in constant pain, and not knowing if there was an end to this. It wasn't an experience he wished upon anyone, but to go through that all _alone_...

"They never visited you, did they?" Danny felt his gut twist with something awful. "Even when you wrote their names down because you trusted them, they never came by. That's why you had their names removed. Even now."

"I'm surprised it took you this long to figure it out."

"They never really talked about it," Danny frowned. "I always thought you were just, I dunno, _jealous _of their relationship and that's why they stopped talking to you. You're not always forthcoming with information about yourself, you know."

Vlad scoffed.

"Are you ever going to forgive them?" A daring question. Danny hoped he wasn't out of line.

"I'm past forgiveness, Daniel," Vlad replied. "All those years in this damn place bled me of my ability to forgive. Rage is all that I have left. It's never abandoned me and I take comfort in that."

"All you have left-I'm here, aren't I?! Despite our history and you being a _constant_ pain in the ass, I haven't thrown in the towel yet," Danny argued.

"_Yet_," Vlad said grimly. "And why haven't you? I've given you plenty of good reasons to remove me from your life."

"Oh, don't give me that. I'll answer that when you answer why you're always seeking me out, _even _if it meant us fighting _all the time_, me saying_ awfu_l things to you, and spending time with people you _hate_," Danny fired back, crossing his arms defiantly.

"You think I wanted things to turn out that way?" Vlad said heatedly. "You must think this is enjoyable for me, don't you? _Trust me_, Daniel, this is nobody's first choice. This is not what _anyone_ would hope for."

"Maybe not, but you persisted. _You_ must have hoped for _something._"

A knock on the door interrupted their conversation. "Sir, we're ready for you now," came the muffled voice. Danny sighed lightly and got up to open the door for the medical staff to do their thing. The nurses bustled about, throwing the occasional question at Vlad, who tried to keep his temper in check with his responses. The trip to the MRI room was a quiet one, with Danny wordlessly sticking close to Vlad without being prompted. Despite their almost-argument, the company was much appreciated for Vlad, who knew too well what it felt like to be wheeled down the sterile halls alone.

Vlad glanced at Danny before entering the room where the machine was gently humming, keeping his eyes on the boy even as he laid down on the cold surface. Danny stared back at him intently from behind the glass of the waiting room, his arms crossed to hide his nervousness. Vlad looked so small in the midst of all the heavy machinery that Danny felt his heart hurt for second time that day. How lonely was this man, to be so willing to fight, hate and_ be hated_, just so that he could feel like he _mattered _to somebody? For the _hope_ that he wouldn't be ignored again?

The walk back to their room was uneventful. Not much was said as Danny helped Vlad back into bed, and the rest of the night passed by in a blur of visits from nurses and doctors. The MRI results came back normal, which evoked a sigh of relief from Daniel and an 'I told you so' from Vlad, but Danny didn't miss the look of calmness that washed over the man's face.

Dinner was spent quite peacefully together, with Danny snickering to some Youtuber's antics and Vlad replying to emails on his phone. Neither one was very willing to rehash the stressful argument from earlier that day, both preferring the quiet companionship instead. And when Vlad started nodding off, Danny was there.

"Get some sleep," he said consolingly. "I'll be here when you wake up, fruitloop."

* * *

The room was empty when Vlad woke up.

He looked over at the small couch, barely big enough for Danny's thin frame. It was unoccupied, and the hospital blanket was folded neatly on top of it. It was like the boy was never here.

A self-deprecating chuckle escaped his lips. It was fitting, really, that he would always fall asleep to empty words and wake up feeling cold. At this point, the loneliness was so familiar that he felt it embrace him like an old friend. Perhaps it was time for him to embrace it and accept it in return.

Vlad sat up gingerly when he heard the door open. He was not the self-pitying kind, and he was going to get out of this blasted place one way or another today. Nurse's advice be damned.

"C'mon, fruitloop," Danny said with a grin as he walked in. "I got your discharge papers. Just need you to sign here."

Vlad froze, not sure if he was still trapped in the haze of sleep. He eyed Danny as he crossed the room to the closet and took out his clothes, newly washed and dried, and laid them out on his bed. Danny stared back at him expectantly.

"Why are you giving me that look for?" He handed him the paperwork and a pen. "Sign this nonsense and let's go home."

Vlad felt at a loss for words. "Home," he repeated, staring at the papers with pen in hand.

"I told you, fruitloop, I'm not leaving you here," Danny said. "This place is depressing and the food is gross. I want pancakes. _Come on_."

Vlad signed his name so fast he accidentally tore the page with his pen.

* * *

I deserve this, Danny thought as his pen flew across the page. This is what happens when you do the dumb thing and leave all your work until after the weekend, dumbass.

"God damn it, Vlad," he cursed under his breath, white-knuckling his way through his physics readings.

His concentration was cut off mid-sentence by the vibrations of his phone. Danny looked at the device in annoyance, offended at the interruption. He picked it up to see who had the audacity to-oh, speak of the devil...

"This is all your fault," he greeted Vlad, looking out the window with a grim look on his face.

"_The greetings have really gone downhill,"_ Vlad commented. _"What is all my fault?"_

"World hunger, poverty, racism, disease," Danny listed. "Anything terrible that's happening right now, know that it's all your fault."

"_Sounds like I've been a busy man. That's quite a laundry list of terrible things, little badger." _

"Well, that's how annoyed I am," Danny griped. "This is what I get for spending the entire weekend looking after your sick butt. I have a lot of work to catch up on now."

A chuckle._ "I suppose I should take responsibility for your procrastination, but I can't feel apologetic for it, I'm afraid." _Vlad's voice was warm. _"It was good of you to look after me, Daniel." _

"Yeah, blast my compassionate heart...can't let you die on me, can I?" Danny huffed, his eyes landing on Ralph's sleeping form across the room. He made no effort in lowering his voice, but the guy could sleep through anything, apparently. Amazing. "How are you doing by the way? Are you taking it easy?"

"_Unfortunately, that may not be possible. A boss's work is never done." _

"The doctors told you to rest," Danny sighed heavily. "Don't make me come over there again, fruitloop."

"_I compromised by not going into the office and only working from home, I don't know how much more relaxed I can get."_ Came the disgruntled reply. _"Although, I wouldn't be opposed to the idea of you dropping by. I do miss the stray footprints on my vintage chairs. The place has been much too clean lately."_

Danny found himself smiling fondly at memories of him disrespecting Vlad's furniture and Vlad begrudgingly accepting his fate. Lecturing him could only do so much. "I only reward people who behave themselves, which means taking proper care of yourself instead of scheming and plotting at work."

"_Schemes and plots are the same thing." _

"Clever," Danny rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean, Vlad."

_"Well then, I better make sure I behave."_

Danny hung up with a chuckle and resumed his work with a renewed vigor. He could probably spare some time to go see the fruitloop after midterms.

* * *

"Hey," Nick knocked on the open door to Danny's dorm room, pausing at the doorway to look at him.

"Nick! Hey," Danny's eyes lit up as he pushed away from his desk. "What's up? I didn't know you were coming."

"Didn't really get to see you over the weekend, so I thought I'd drop by," Nick said. "You left in such a hurry on Friday, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine," Danny said. "A-A family friend got into some trouble so I went to help him out. He's okay, though, so no worries." He didn't want to say it was Vlad, especially not when he and Nick started off on the wrong foot.

"Oh, okay. That's good...Um, so I have to ask you something," Nick started nervously. "That guy, Vlad, right? Did...something happen between the two of you?"

Danny was pretty sure he looked really dumb right now. "Huh?"

"Well, he didn't exactly like me, did he. So, I just started thinking that maybe he's like-you know maybe-you guys didn't_ date_, right?" Nick stumbled over his words uncomfortably. "Because I really don't want to be caught in something so complicated, and if this is gonna be a thing then-"

"What? _No!_" Danny's face felt warm. "No, no, trust me, he's just an old friend of the family's. He can be quite stressed out from time to time so you just caught him on a bad day."

"Oh, okay. That's good then. Because...I really like you," Nick said and held Danny's hand. "And I would really like it if we can take this relationship somewhere."

"Are you officially asking me out?" Danny found himself smiling. Nick was so cute.

"Only if you say yes," Nick said, blushing. "N-Not to put you on the spot or anything, but if you need time to think about it then-"

"Yes."

"Really?" Nick's face lit up, his warm hands tightening around Danny's.

Danny chuckled and stepped closer, wrapping his arms around Nick's waist. "You're an idiot," he mumbled against his boyfriend's lips. "Yes."

* * *

_The sheets underneath him twisted and crumpled as Danny tugged at them, panting helplessly as hands ran all over him, bending him to its will, willing him to submit. _

_A curtain of hair fell into his vision, silver in the moonlight. He found his hand greedily reaching for it, tangling up in the silver silk and tugging at the roots. There was a low grunt above him, and then he found his world being tipped sideways. _

_Tell me what you want, low whispers caressed him lovingly and Danny felt himself giving into the heat of being trapped underneath strong arms. He opened his mouth to answer but no sound came out, only a broken moan as he gave in and opened up as he was slowly penetrated. The slow stretch was driving him insane and he felt himself tense up. _

_Just relax. His voice was smooth chocolate melting against him and Danny couldn't breathe. It was too much, too big, and too soon, and he was suddenly crying..._

Danny's eyes shot open. His heart lurched as he reached for his phone to check the time.

3:45AM.

He breathed a sigh of relief and plopped back down against the pillows, focusing on catching his breath. The room was quiet except for the gentle chirping of crickets outside and the light occasional snoring from Ralph's side of the bed. Danny stared at the ceiling, adrenaline forcing him wide awake.

_What the hell was that? _

The image of_ his_ callous hands and silver hair burned into Danny's memory, making him flushed and confused. Well, this was new. Danny wasn't a stranger to the occasional wet dream, but never in all his years did he expect to dream about _him_.

"What the fuck?" Danny whispered into the dark.

He looked down at the uncomfortable situation brewing in his pants and gently palmed it only to groan subtly. With Ralph sleeping in the next bed, there wasn't anything Danny could do that didn't border on being a super inappropriate roommate and a terrible friend. He groaned again and rubbed his face in frustration.

Fuck. This was a real problem now.

* * *

To be continued...


	10. Chapter 10

"You ever have a sex dream that's...unusual?"

Ralph didn't even blink. "Is this your first time being a guy?" He chuckled lowly to himself, joint between his teeth as he stared at the game on his laptop screen.

"Haha, just hear me out," Danny complained. "I mean, like, you ever dream about someone you _really_ shouldn't be dreaming about?"

"I knew it," Ralph paused the game and spun around in his chair. "You dreamt about Krystal, didn't you?"

Danny didn't like where this was going. "No."

"It's okay. We've been talking about getting a third to, you know, _mix things up lately_."

"Wha-_No_. I'm _not_ doing a threesome with you and your girlfriend," Danny said seriously. "Take that mess elsewhere, Ralph."

"Oh, but come on-"

"Don't make our friendship weird," Danny pleaded. "Please. You can have anything else."

"Fine," Ralph huffed and turned back to the laptop. "So, what's the big deal? Who's this guy in your dream?"

Danny suddenly didn't know if he wanted to keep talking about this. "Uh, someone I know back home. We kinda have a complicated history, so to speak," he said vaguely.

"Did you guys fuck?" Ralph said, multitasking effortlessly.

"No!"

"Did you guys date?"

"No."

"Then how is it complicated?" Ralph looked confused. "Look, dreams can mean anything. You should just take it with a grain of salt."

Silence.

Ralph apparently felt the lack of response was weird, because he paused the game and turned around to look Danny in the eyes. "What's going on? You're being so quiet today. Are you and Nick fine?"

"I think so," Danny said thoughtfully. "I mean, most of the time we're both busy with our own shit, but it's not an issue or anything. At least, he hasn't brought it up yet."

"Okay, so...?"

Danny rubbed his arm nervously. "But you _really_ don't think this is a big deal?"

"Are you asking me if it's a big deal, or do you _want_ to make it a big deal?" Ralph casually tossed the question over his shoulder. But Danny _felt_ that.

He sat there silently, brooding. Vlad's place in his life was complicated at best, but romantic wasn't ever included in that package. But he couldn't deny that there were moments where he felt a bit left in the dark, not quite sure what the man was insinuating through all the teasing. More often than not, it left Danny flustered and unable to meet the man in the eyes, and it unsettled him that he could be swayed so easily. Vlad was too good at this game.

"Look, I'm not telling you what to do, man," Ralph smiled sympathetically at brooding lump on the bed. "If you want to, sleep on it. But before you figure out what it is you want, don't go blowing up a perfectly good relationship you have right now for a _feeling_."

"Thanks, buddy."

"Just my two cents," Ralph shrugged and moved over to let Danny see the screen. "Wanna game? Take your mind off it?"

Danny proceeded to decimate Ralph's game character within minutes.

* * *

"You want to stay here for the summer?" Vlad grunted as he struggled with a stubborn bolt. They were at his manor again, working on the new prototype in his research lab. Vlad had been pleasantly surprised when Danny eagerly offered his time, considering how busy he was with classes and research and how willfully he gave his time to that unrefined common boy. Nevertheless, the offer was appreciated. Not to mention the fact that Danny proved himself to be quite clever and adept in the engineering department, picking up concepts and protocols rather quickly, and Vlad was happy to have someone competent working alongside him.

However, happy or not, Vlad found himself rather confused and put-off by all the insistent staring from the boy. It's been happening more and more frequently, Vlad noted, and he really didn't know what to make of it. He paused in his work and stared back at Danny when his question fell on deaf ears, only to have Danny stare stupidly back at him with goldfish eyes.

"Is anyone home?" Vlad teased and brought his fingers up to tap against Danny's forehead. "Or am I just verbally projecting into the void?"

He caught the blush that bloomed on Danny's cheeks as the boy pulled away. Interesting.

"I heard you. My PI said I can extend my assistantship into the summer, and I think it'll be good for me," Danny explained. "If that's okay with you. I can fly back and forth between your place and the lab."

Vlad was contemplative. "Not that I would ever turn you away, little badger, but this may be difficult to explain to your parents," he said, wiping his hands on his work pants. "For one, they would find your decision to reside in another state very odd."

"Which is why I'm gonna tell them that I'm staying with Nick's parents this summer."

"Oh?" Vlad perked an eyebrow. "I assume that you'll have an excuse ready for that farm boy of yours or else this could all go South rather quickly."

"It's _Nick_. His family owns a farm but it's not like that's his life," Danny said defensively.

"Tomato, tomahto."

"Be nice, fruitloop," Danny frowned. "You really hurt his feelings the last time you came, you know."

"Oh, I'm surprised. I thought Midwestern boys like him were raised to have a lot more _grit_," Vlad smirked and motioned to a spare part of the machine. "Hold this down for me, will you?"

Danny begrudgingly made himself useful and moved over to help. He lifted the piece of metal and held it in place while Vlad hammered away at the joints. "We should've started with the lighter metal," Danny grunted, feeling the sweat pooling in the small of his back.

Vlad snorted. "Lighter metal also means more money, and this is a prototype of a prototype at best. I may be wealthy, Daniel, but I'm not wasteful," he said and then proceeded to explain the importance of cost effectiveness in scientific research.

Danny nodded along halfheartedly, not really listening to the boring lecture. He was, however, very fascinated by the way Vlad's arm muscles rippled as he worked. The veins in his forearms were prominent as he hammered away, and Danny ogled at them shamelessly. The Lord was testing him, Danny thought miserably as he watched a bead of sweat slid down the man's temple and disappear into the collar of his V-neck.

_Tell me what you want, low whispers caressed him lovingly and he felt himself giving into the heat of being trapped underneath strong arms. _

Danny forced himself to look away, feeling the beginnings of arousal settle in the pit of his stomach. Fine. Vlad was a handsome guy. It wasn't like he ever tried to deny it, especially when those gossip magazines touted Vlad Master's face on the covers like it was the gospel truth. Most Wanted Bachelor of 2020. Sexiest Man of the Year.

The people have spoken. Vlad was a silver fox.

_Are you asking me if it's a big deal, or do you want to make it a big deal?_

Danny knew he was playing with fire.

"Are you even listening?" Vlad sighed and paused in his work to stare at him accusingly. Danny felt his face redden under the scrutiny and willed the mental images to go away.

"Uh, yes?"

"Then what did I say?"

"...Money?"

"Ingenious," Vlad grumbled. "And they say youth is wasted on the young."

"_Whatever_," Danny rolled his eyes. "So, do I have your permission?"

"For what?"

"_To stay here_. Jeez, Alzheimer's isn't supposed to set in for another twenty years, fruitloop," Danny said snarkily. "I'll straighten things out with Nick and talk to my parents. Tie up all the loose threads. So, can I stay?"

Vlad got up with a smirk on his lips. He walked past Danny and ran his hand through the boy's hair, giving it an affectionate ruffle. He didn't miss the blooming rosiness on Danny's cheeks.

"Always, little badger."

* * *

Senior year wasn't exactly a walk in the park.

With graduation in just a few months, there were a lot of preparations to be done. The year-end art show loomed over Nick's shoulders like a constant threat, along with the final project for his architecture program. Both were huge chunks of his grade, and Nick couldn't afford to mess it up.

He rolled his shoulders until it cracked, feeling that familiar tension settle right in between his shoulder blades. Besides going to class and getting food from the cafeteria, Nick hasn't left his room in weeks. Cardboard lunchboxes littered his desk along with empty soda cups. His bed was a mess, his floor covered in paintings for the gallery show, and on his dresser sat an incomplete small-scale model of the building he was designing.

It looked like crap, although he was probably just saying that because he was having a rough time.

He also hasn't seen Danny in a while.

Sometimes, he blamed his recklessness for encouraging him to jump into a relationship with a freshman. But Danny had been so alluring under the hazy neon lights that night, pinks highlighting his jawline, blues outlining his hips, that Nick had found himself captivated by his simple lines and the way they danced gracefully when he moved.

He really didn't think anything was going to come out of this when he wrote his number on Danny's wrist. He figured he should be daring, just once. Not vanilla, y'know? But then, the date happened, and Danny was so easy to talk to that one thing led to another and now-

Nick sat down heavily in front of his computer and re-read the email for the umpteenth time.

_Dear Mr. Nicholas Moore, _

_Thank you for applying to AR Architectural Design for the position of Entry Level Architect/Designer. Upon reviewing your portfolio, we are very impressed by your talent and would like to set up an interview at your earliest convenience. _

_Please be assured that all expenses, including travel and hotel accommodations, will be taken care of our staff._

_We hope to hear from you soon. _

_Sincerely, _

_Isla Thompson_

_HR – Talent Acquisition Coordinator _

_63 King Street_

_London, United Kingdom_

_W81 9VT_

It was a _huge_ opportunity, getting an interview at one of the most prestigious architecture firms in the world. He has been following the company's career ever since he had a clue with what he wanted to do, and if he was lucky – truly lucky- and secured this position, then that would be a _dream_.

Nick tried to feel happy for himself; he was going to have to tell Danny about the possibility of him relocating sooner rather than later. He tried to imagine a scenario in which Danny wasn't confused or angry or sad at the news, and found it difficult to muster the nerve to be responsible for Danny's disappointment.

There was a knock at the door, startling Nick enough to slam his laptop close – a telltale sign of a guilty conscience. Danny's muffled voice came through on the other side, causing Nick to panic and swim through the debris on the floor to greet him.

"Danny, what are you doing here?" He asked, cracking the door open just enough to fit his body through.

"Hey, wanted to check in on you," Danny said worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

Nick surveyed the dumpster fire that was his room. Yikes. "Um, this may not be the best time," he said. "My room is kind of compromised at the moment with stuff...and smells..."

Danny scrunched up his nose at the mention of smells and laughed. "Okay, just wanted to make sure you're not dead or anything."

"Nah, I'm fine," Nick said and jiggled his leg nervously. "Um, listen, do you have some time-"

"-I'm staying on campus this summer-oh, sorry. You were saying?" Danny backtracked.

"No, you go first. You're staying this summer? Your PI agreed to extend your research?" Nick smiled. "That's great news! Where are you staying?"

"I'm staying with Vlad." It wasn't a lie. "He has a place around here, so it'll save me some money." Well, it wasn't _completely_ a lie.

"Oh, that guy..." Nick still had memories of his cold indifference and his steely eyes. It was like meeting Nick was a personal affront, and the way that guy took no time to push him out of the conversation and hog Danny's attention all to himself...Nick was not a fan.

Danny smiled consolingly. "I know how to deal with him. It's gonna be fine. This way, we can hang out over the summer too."

Nick felt nervous cold sweat building on the back of his neck. "Y-Yeah, this summer..." If his job interview went well, this may be the one of the last few times he would see Danny. "Sounds good. Um, not to rush you out or anything, but want to grab coffee after I'm done with finals? I'm a bit of a mess right now."

"Sure!"

It didn't seem like Danny thought anything was up, Nick thought as he kissed his boyfriend goodbye and saw him off at the door. Danny has always been agreeable, his nature too trusting to think the worst of anyone. It saddened Nick sometimes, to see him walking about, heart open and vulnerable to attack.

It disgusted him that he would have to plunge a knife into that same heart sooner or later.

Nick rubbed his face tiredly, walking into the kitchen when his roommate greeted him with food.

"Was that Danny?" His roommate muttered around a mouthful of toast.

"Yup."

Silence. "_Well?_"

Nick shook his head in defeat. "Couldn't."

"Dude, are you seriously not gonna tell him?" His roommate asked in disbelief. "You're running out of time."

Nick sighed. "I know."

"Oh, of course. Drag it out then. Slowly and painfully, and then disappear to London and break his heart."

"Can you just-!" Nick ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "I'm avoiding landmines, okay?" He said before storming back to his room and slamming the door shut.

His roommate was right though. This was going to be painful.

* * *

To be continued...


	11. Chapter 11

After another year at Stanford, it was safe to say that Jazz was hitting her breaking point.

"Quite frankly, it's not _helpful_ to criticize my work as-as," Jazz struggled to flip through her essay to find the damning red comments. "'_Lacking in depth and imaginative thought' _but then offer _no_ further suggestions on how I should improve my work, Mr. Williams. I'm afraid I have to demand an explanation for this. I mean, who gives you the right to write such-such _unfair_ and _thoughtless_ comments on a perfectly good essay?"

"Well, I _am_ the TA for this class, Ms. Fenton," Evan said, walking around her carefully to close the door to his small dusty office. "And I _do_ grade everyone's assignment for this course."

"Yes, but on what grounds do I deserve a B?! I followed the prompt for it to the letter. I reflected and wrote about who I am. So how did I fail even though I did exactly what you said?!" Jazz cried defensively and slammed the essay down onto the desk hard.

"I don't think a B is a failing grade-"

Jazz had a deranged look in her eyes. "In my book, it _is," _she hissed. Her head hurt. She hasn't eaten in over eight hours. Finals was stressing her the_ fuck out_ but this? _This _was the hill she was going to die on.

"Okay," Evan placated and gestured for her to sit. "Listen. You said you followed the prompt exactly, but I'm not sure you did. The prompt encouraged students to reflect on the past school year and write about who they are. You, like many other students, wrote a four-page essay on how well you can study and what industry you want to break into after graduation."

"But that_ is_ an accurate depiction of who I am," Jazz frowned. "I work hard. I'm driven, and I have goals-"

"No, I _know_ you're competent. But everyone here works hard. They're all driven and have goals. Those are just survival strategies in a competitive environment. What sets you apart from the other students?" Evan explained.

The lack of sleep clouded her judgment and processing power, and she was starting to feel agitated. "People aren't necessarily so different from one another when you boil them down to their basic pillars, Mr. Williams. I may share some qualities with other students, but they're still my qualities! I don't know, I feel like you're just picking for fragments of me that you want and you got annoyed when you didn't get it."

"Yes, because I've only gotten to know the fragment of you that's exactly the same as the ones all the other students presented. Although, from your angry outbursts I'm starting to get to know more..." Evan said apprehensively. "The paper...it's well-written, I give you that. But it didn't adequately address the assignment, hence why you got a B."

The thought of the paper pulling down her final grade and destroying her stellar GPA horrified her. "So that's it. There's no room for improvement?" Jazz could feel the rage within her start to boil over. "Even though I don't agree with you and your assessment of my work?"

Evan folded his hands together apologetically. "I'm sorry, Ms. Fenton. All grades are final."

Jazz rose slowly in her seat. "You know what? I think you're being stubborn and unreasonable. This was an open-ended writing piece, but you graded it like you were looking for a right answer!"

"I also need to follow certain guidelines when grading your writing-"

"And what do you know about writing anyway?" Jazz, shut up. "You might be the TA for this class, but it's not like you're the next best thing since _sliced bread_-"

"I don't disagree with you and I quite like bread."

"It's not like you're _Shakespeare-_"_ Seriously,_ stop talking.

"Because why would we need another one?"

"You know what I think?" Oh my God, Jazz, shut _up! _"I think you're just a critic. You _enjoy _being a critic, which is why you'll _always _be a critic."

Evan regarded her calmly, his tone betraying nothing. "Jasmine, I'm being honest. It's the one thing I can promise my students."

"Yes, well..." Jazz snatched the paper off the desk aggressively. "_Honestly_, your honesty is worth pennies."

She made sure to slam the door extra hard on her way out.

* * *

"_You talked to him like that?"_

"Yup."

"Wow," her roommate, Leila, slow-whistled. "You know he could totally change your grade to like, a D or an F, right?"

"Grades are already submitted. I'd like to see him try," Jazz snorted and took another shot of tequila. She winced as the alcohol burned her throat, but the pain was refreshing in the aftermath of finals.

"Damn, look at you go," Leila said in awe. "I've never seen you pre-game this hard before a party."

"Well, when in Rome, do as the Romans do," Jazz said. "I'm embracing it. The college experience. Partying. Waking up late. Half-assing classes. All of it."

"Oh, don't be so dramatic," Leila laughed. "Even with a B, you'll still end up with an A- in that class. It's almost an A."

Jazz's gaze darkened. "Almost isn't good enough."

"You sound fun at parties, Miss Perfect."

"Stop calling me that!" Jazz felt a spike of annoyance at the nickname. "I poured in all this work for that class and in the end, it wasn't even worth it. Do you know what he called my writing? _Lacking in thought and creative flair," _Jazz mocked in a bad British accent with air quotes. "Screw you! I've got flair for days. This whole semester has been nothing but a pain in the ass."

"Well, be glad that we're finally done then," Leila said and threw Jazz her coat. "What do you say we go raise a little hell?"

"On any other night I would hate this," Jazz muttered as she spun around, chasing her jacket sleeve drunkenly. "But fuck it! Tonight, we celebrate!"

"I like this Jazz!"

* * *

Jazz's head throbbed to the rhythm of the pounding bass in the cramped apartment complex. Leila gave up on her and disappeared an hour ago, dragging some poor soul into one of the upstairs bedrooms. She was now completely on her own feeling drunk and slightly sick. The flashing lights and alcohol had rendered her eyesight relatively useless, forcing Jazz to navigate her way through the place by clinging to the walls. Someone accidentally elbowed her spine and Jazz hissed in pain but didn't bother to turn around. It wasn't like she knew anyone here anyways.

She was never doing this again.

"Jasmine?" Someone to her left called out. Or was it the right? God, she was so drunk.

Jazz spun around and felt a pair of hands wrap around her arms, steadying her as she pitched forward. Under the dim lighting, she saw Evan's lips moving and his eyes filled with concern. The barely suppressed rage suddenly came rushing back, fueled by the fire in her veins from one too many tequila shots.

Jazz furrowed her eyebrows. "_You." _

"Me."

Grumbling, she tried to brush him off, but swayed dramatically and fell backwards instead. The wall behind her broke her fall, and then Jazz felt the ground coming up to meet her.

"Whoa!" Evan reacted quickly and caught her. "Let's go get some air. You're really drunk, Jasmine."

Jazz opened her mouth up to argue, feeling prickly about all his weird mothering tendencies. What's up with this guy acting like a mom anyway? She thought, feeling herself glide down the stairs. It's not like it's a competition. Not a close one at least, because when it came to mothering, nobody mothered harder than _her_!

The cool evening air hit her in the face, and Jazz felt her body jolt with the sudden chill. Underneath the permeating scent of alcohol and synthetic perfumes were the crisp, sharp notes of clean rain mingling with the bite of early spring weather. It brought her a brief moment of clarity, and Jazz turned around to stare at Evan thoughtfully.

"Your eyes are really blue," she slurred.

"Thank my mom, they're hers," Evan smiled awkwardly. "Not that they're actually _hers_, that's not what I meant. I just meant it's probability of genetics-you know what, never mind."

"Pfft. You talk a lot."

"_Ha_, only when I'm nervous and sober," Evan joked. "Listen, I'm kinda glad I ran into you. I feel like we got off on the wrong foot, so I just wanted to say-"

"Stop," Jazz frowned, stumbling. "Save your breath, okay?"

"Oh, okay?" Evan faltered, his hands in an outstretched position ready to catch her at any moment. "Look, I just wanted to apologize for giving you a hard time. You seemed to be really stressed out-"

"Yeah, I am. It's kind of my personal brand," Jazz snapped. "What, are you gonna hold it against me or something?"

"...No?"

"Really? You're not gonna _grade me on a curve _and accuse me of being _thoughtless_ and _uncreative_?"

"Ah, back to square one," Evan nodded ruefully at Jazz's sarcastic comments. "So, I was right in assuming you're still upset about that."

"I'm not upset, I'm _indignant,_" Jazz raised her voice. "You know, you _accuse_ me of-of being too polished and professional or _whatever_, but you never gave me a reason why I should be vulnerable with you."

"It's a creative writing class, Jasmine, exposing your emotional depth is necessary."

"But you're a _stranger_!" Jazz ranted. "Did you ever think about that? What am I gonna do, _throw_ my personal secrets at you? I don't know you! It's uncomfortable. You keep asking me to dig deeper, but what do _you_ bring to the table? You may be a teacher, but teaching is a two-way street too!"

That made Evan pause. "Huh," he muttered to himself. Did he make people feel uncomfortable about sharing things with him? He never had to think about that, in all honesty.

"Listen. You listen to me, _here,_" Jazz jabbed a shaky finger into his chest. "You don't even know _one thing_ about me, you hear me? I'm sure you think I'm just-just another cutthroat drone looking for a come-up in life, and you can roll your eyes all you want but you don't know me. I work my _ass_ off. I taught myself to do that for _me_. So, _excuse me_ if I'm a little less than sweet about it, but you would be too if you need to be the shoulder that everyone leans on!"

"Jasmine-"

"Stop. Oh my God, _stop_ calling me that. You sound like my mother when I'm in trouble," Jazz stumbled drunkenly away from him. "I didn't even _do_ anything! Just get out of here."

"Huh?"

"Get _out_. I don't want you here," Jazz said insistently. "And you know what? I talked to _every_ single one of the people inside and they have spoken! They don't want you here."

"Wow, that must have taken a lot of time," Evan said flatly.

Jazz looked almost smug. "Yes, it did. Get out."

"Well, I would but I kind of live here."

"What?"

Evan just looked really tired. "This is my apartment."

Jazz looked confused at his answer, her cheeks puffing out like an angry chipmunk. Evan sighed heavily, feeling partly amused and partly exasperated. This wasn't how he pictured this night would turn out, and he wasn't really sure what to do now. He walked over to Jazz to steady her swaying form, coaxing her to get off the freshly cut grass. The girl had no respect for lawn maintenance. Jazz was mumbling incoherently under her breath, inebriated and beyond help.

"Come on," Evan said gently. "I'll get you home. Did you come with someone? I can give you guys a ride."

Home? Back to Amity Park? That seemed far. Evan must be joking. And who did she come with anyway? Oh yes, Leila! But where was she? It was all too much for drunk Jazz to comprehend.

She then proceeded to bend over and throw up all over his shoes.

* * *

Jazz woke up with a pounding headache and a parched throat, in an unfamiliar room and a bed that wasn't hers. She surveyed the space around her, nursing the sharp pain of panic in her stomach. This was definitely a guy's room, if the stray t-shirts and neutral hues of the walls were any indication. But it didn't make any sense, she didn't remember meeting anyone last night and she couldn't _possibly_ have been_ so_ drunk that-

Jazz yelped in shock when the door opened.

"Don't be scared!" The voice called out, hidden behind the door. "It's just me!"

"Who are you?!"

"Oh, sorry," Evan peeked his head out. "Hi. This is my face."

Jazz looked even more confused. "Evan, what are you doing here?" She said accusingly, yanking the comforter close to her.

"This is my room actually," Evan said, his hands balancing a tray of food. "But you seem nervous so I'm gonna ask if I can come in."

Jazz slowly nodded and scooted over on the bed. "Then where did you sleep?" She asked curiously.

"Downstairs. Couch."

"Oh no, I'm sorry for putting you out."

"Wasn't a hardship," Evan shrugged and walked over. "You hungry?"

"A bit," she answered honestly, looking at the breakfast in amusement. "Is this...a cheeseboard?"

"I don't have a breakfast tray."

Jazz felt her lips twitch. "...But you have _cheeseboards_."

"It's a necessity!" Evan said defensively. "No self-respecting grad student can call himself an adult without one."

Jazz emitted a small giggle and picked up a spoon. "It all looks delicious, thank you."

"Not a problem," Evan smiled and walked around, picking up his shirts hastily. "Sorry for the state of my room. Wasn't really expecting company."

"It's a nice room, now that I've calmed down a bit," Jazz said thoughtfully while munching on eggs. "You keep it way tidier than my brother does."

"Older?" Evan asked, interest peaked.

"Younger."

Evan nodded. "Is he anything like you?"

"He's...braver than me," Jazz said quietly. "He's the type to give his heart to people."

"In that regard, you're not so different," Evan chuckled. "You were brave enough to confront me."

Jazz just looked contrite. "Brave? Or just stupid? In hindsight, I really shouldn't have been so thin-skinned. Even if we disagreed, I shouldn't have snapped at you like that. And last night was just embarrassing."

"Well, last night may have lacked finesse, but you raised some good points," Evan said. "I didn't make you feel comfortable enough to share your personal thoughts on paper with me, and for that, the fault is mine. You simply wrote to the best of your emotional ability. I must accept it."

"However," Evan continued, staring intently into her green eyes. "If one were to _continue_ to be the shoulder that everyone leans on, then one should know that it's important to be vulnerable with the _right_ people so that they can return the favor someday."

Jazz stared back with a fierceness, having caught on to what he was insinuating. "And how do I know you're the right people?" She fired back.

"You don't," Evan said, moving closer. "But I'd like to try."

"I don't need anyone to take care of _me_," Jazz whispered, breath ghosting over Evan's lips like a feather.

"I know you don't need it," Evan said quietly. "But _need_ and _want_ are different things. Which one are you?"

Jazz felt something deep within her stir at his words. Blue eyes bore into her green ones with a spark of challenge, daring her to take him on, _make a move_. Maybe it was the anger firing sparks in her veins telling her to put him in his place, or the intense pull she felt towards a man who elegantly called bullshit on a façade she spent years building. But as Jazz pulled him into a heated kiss, her fists in a tight hold on his t-shirt, Jazz somehow felt lighter than she had in years.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N**: Sorry for the temporary hiatus. I recently got into grad school and things have been confusing with COVID interfering with class schedules. I hope you're all staying safe and sane during this time. Thank you for your lovely reviews! It kept me going when times were rough. I'm so happy that this was a joy for you to read because it certainly was a joy for me to write!

* * *

Suffice to say, Danny kicked off the summer in a really bad mood.

"Control the motion of your swing, Daniel. Just because you're tired doesn't mean you can be lazy."

Danny gritted his teeth in frustration, circling Vlad on the gym floor. "I don't _need_ you to tell me how to punch," he growled, lunging forward to land a series of strikes.

"It's called training, my boy," Vlad countered, blocking the punches effectively. "Constructive criticism is part of the deal."

"So is teaching me new stuff," Danny argued. "Getting sick of repeating drills, Vlad."

The next punch caught Vlad in the torso and stunned him. Danny then went low with a clean swipe at his legs that sent the man airborne. Vlad came crashing down on the practice mat with a sharp exhale, only to come face to face with Danny pinning him down with a smug grin.

"Not bad, little badger," Vlad smiled. "But you left yourself open."

Without warning, Vlad raised his legs and kneed Danny in the shin. The boy yelped in pain and stumbled, and Vlad took the opportunity to grab his arm and twist it behind his back. Danny went down with a grunt, his arm caught in an awkward position in Vlad's hold. Vlad tightened his grip and purposefully bent the arm at the wrong angle to cement his victory.

"If you bothered to master the basics, you wouldn't be on the ground right now," Vlad said, close to his ear.

"Shut up, fruitloop." Danny stiffened underneath him. "_Get off me._"

Vlad pulled back and got off him without a fuss, mindful of Danny's sour temperament. It's been like this for the past two weeks now. Vlad knew something was off the moment Danny tossed his bags near the front door and then flopped lifelessly onto the parlor couch, his expression sullen and dark. While conversations between them still flowed quite normally, Vlad felt a lackluster effort on Danny's part.

Once or twice, Vlad felt like he hit a nerve when he casually asked about that farmer boy he was dating, only to see Danny frown deeply and clam up or change the subject. Ah, trouble in paradise, Vlad thought to himself, but decided not to poke and prod him about it.

Danny will tell him in due time if he's patient about it, he thought confidently. After all, one catches more flies with honey than with vinegar.

"Again," Danny demanded, getting into position impatiently.

"Normally I would love to, but I'm afraid I will have to end the lesson here today, Daniel," Vlad said apologetically, checking the clock on the wall. "I have a business dinner later this evening and I need to get ready now."

Danny didn't bother to hide his annoyance. "What time will you be back?" He asked, taking a swig from his water bottle.

"Late," Vlad said. "You know how these things go."

"Fine," Danny grumbled, tossing a towel over his shoulder. "At least give me a heads up if you're gonna bring someone home." The snark in his voice was very evident, but there was an underlying intent to his words that didn't go unnoticed by the older man.

Vlad smirked and ruffled the boy's hair playfully. Daniel was so cute when he was angry. "No promises, Daniel."

"Seriously?" Danny said towards Vlad's retreating back, exasperated.

"You _know_ how these things go."

* * *

Vlad was totally messing with him.

If there ever was a time when he carelessly brought strangers back for one-night stands, then it was a long time ago before he even knew who he was or what he wanted. Danny had little to worry; at his age, Vlad found little enjoyment in moonlit trysts with partners he barely knew, and who wanted little to do with him after it was all over.

He wouldn't enjoy this so much if Danny wasn't so easy to tease though.

Vlad smirked into his bourbon, his eyes scanning the room. There were escorts here tonight, no doubt hired by a few acquaintances of his in the gentleman's club. Of course. They were the young and reckless types to mess around behind their partners' backs.

"Masters!" A voice bellowed. Vlad turned around to see a tall brunet walking towards him in large strides. The man was equally decked out in a fancy suit. His features were not unlike those of a fox. All sharp and conniving. A real cutthroat in the business, Vlad recognized.

"Kinsley," Vlad greeted. "No doubt this shindig is your doing."

"I may have had a generous hand in here or there," Kinsley said with a sly smile.

"I'm sure those ladies can say the same thing," Vlad responded dryly, his pointed gaze swept over to the professionals.

Kinsley looked at the girls with a leer and swung an arm around Vlad's shoulders. "Oh, come now, Masters, surely you're well acquainted with a little fun under the table. Heard you got a few tricks up your sleeves back in the day."

"That was then." Vlad sipped his drink nonchalantly. "Eventually all things come to an end, my friend."

Kinsley shrugged. "Suit yourself, Masters. I guess it's just more for me then," he said before blending into the party.

It was really getting late, Vlad thought and checked his watch. There wasn't any point in staying anymore; the networking portion of the night was dying down and the whole scene was starting to bore him.

"What do you say to a drink, Mr. Masters?" A feminine voice caught his attention.

Vlad looked at the girl standing before him, appearing sophisticated and demure in her navy gown. She was a pretty young thing with attractive blue eyes. Vlad gazed into them, used to seeing sparks and fire dancing in those blue pools and belonging to someone else. Instead, a cold stillness answered back within these eyes, empty and devoid of warmth.

The woman was utterly indifferent. This would be as much of a business transaction for him as it would be for her.

"Excuse me," he replied and headed for the door. He felt like he couldn't get out of there fast enough.

Vlad rushed home in the limo, his head filled with memories of lively blue eyes and biting wit.

* * *

Danny trudged down the stairs the next morning sleepily in a stale mood. With no Vlad to distract him, he was left alone with his thoughts in the big house. It was something that he was hoping to avoid, especially after he –for a lack of a better word- got _dumped_ by Nick before the summer even started. He still didn't know what the hell had happened; one minute they were fine, and then the next thing he knew, Nick was calling it quits with him over coffee.

_"Why did you start something with me if you weren't sure you want to stay in the country?!"_

_"Because I couldn't not, okay?! But this still doesn't change anything. I'm sorry."_

To call it unfair would be an understatement. Danny didn't really know what to call it. The words 'cheated' and 'bullshit' came to mind, because who the fuck does that- but Danny didn't want to complain and gripe about the situation any more than he already did. Ralph and Krystal already got an earful.

Conversing with Vlad's ghostly servants was also a fruitless endeavor; spirits usually preferred an isolated existence in the afterlife with no interruptions. Sensing that his presence was unwelcomed, Danny spent one evening after another in one of the guest rooms, brooding and licking his metaphorical wounds until breakfast time.

He was rummaging around the cabinets for jam, procuring sustenance before heading off for work, when she walked into the room.

Danny stared, a piece of toast between his lips. What the-?

"Oh Jesus Christ," he mumbled tiredly. "Vlad, I told you to give me a heads up if you're bringing company home."

"_Excuse me_," the young woman countered, surveying Danny from head to toe. "If anyone's the 'company' in this house, I think it's _you_."

"Jolie, don't be abrasive to my guest." Vlad walked into the kitchen, fiddling with his cufflinks. "My apologies for letting her run loose in the house, Daniel. Jolie here is my personal assistant. Unfortunately, my day started late so I needed her to drop by."

Danny felt dumb with food hanging out of his mouth, but he couldn't help but feel a little blindsided. On second thought, the young woman was remarkably refreshed and well-dressed to be an 'overnight guest'. Her make-up was immaculate, cherry red lipstick to go with her cherry red pantsuit. Pressed and crisp with sharp angles. Feminine yet commanding. A power move.

Jolie had a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Ordering off the secret menu again, are we?" She shot Vlad a _look_, like she held some unspoken secret. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Like he knows there's a menu."

Silence.

It took a competitive streak and a lack of mental filter at eight in the morning, but there it was. The words flew out of Danny's mouth before he could stop it. He took there, frozen, balking at his own actions.

Vlad looked taken aback, his brain clearly not registering what the _hell_ just happened. As if Danny didn't just insinuate what _everyone_ thought he did. Jolie, on the other hand, looked like the cat that got the cream.

"_Oh?_" She looked way too happy with this information. "Well, _well_, I must say-"

"Enough." Vlad snapped; why must he always be surrounded by insufferable people? He stared intensely at Danny, who suddenly felt vulnerable under the weight of the older man's attention. "I'll be home late tonight," Vlad said, his voice betraying no emotion.

Danny refused to make any eye contact.

"Toodles, darling," Jolie said cheerfully, following Vlad to the door. "It was interesting to meet you, to say the least."

"Uh, yeah. Whatever," Danny mumbled, not moving until he heard the front door slam shut and the sound of the car engine trail off down Vlad's (ridiculous) long driveway. Danny groaned and slowly banged his head against the counter, feeling equal parts of embarrassment and panic course through him.

_What the hell was that?_

* * *

To be continued...


	13. Chapter 13

"_So, this is it." Danny stared at him incredulously. "This is how you want to end things." _

_Nick's face was one of grim determination. "I don't want to settle, Danny. People in this town do it all the time and I'm not gonna let myself become one of them."_

Danny could continue to mope, but he was trying hard not to anymore. Instead, he focused on making efforts to be productive with his life. He got up every day to work out. He made sure to eat a good breakfast before leaving for work. At the lab, Danny checked his emotional baggage at the door and focused on his research. It was fun and he was learning a lot, and the graduate students there liked him enough. He usually got home first in the evenings, and used that time to decompress before Vlad came back. Then it was (late) dinner time, which Vlad insisted they should cook together. Danny wasn't sure if Vlad was doing this to distract him, but it was a gesture that he appreciated.

_Sometimes. _

"What is _that_."

Danny walked over and peered into the bowl. "Mashed potatoes...?" He said, giving Vlad a weird look.

Vlad was not impressed. "It has _lumps_. What kind of mashed potatoes has lumps?"

"Ours always had lumps!" Danny cried defensively. "It's practically Fenton tradition!"

"Of course, I always knew you were raised by wolves," Vlad shuddered and pulled out the electric whisk. Amateurs had no business being in the kitchen.

"Can you relax? It's tastes fine." Danny rolled his eyes and dipped his finger into the bowl for a taste test. Mm, garlic and butter!

"That's shoddy craftsmanship, is what it is! Stop dipping your finger into the bowl. When was the last time you washed your hands? You know _what_? Go, I'm sending you to go peel the carrots." Vlad pointed to the counter sternly.

Danny groaned dramatically. "Fine, but I'm taking my knife with me," he retorted and waved the sharp blade tauntingly.

"You be careful with that knife. It's one of a kind from _Japan_."

Ugh. What a _diva_.

"If you hate the way I do things, why don't you just get your staff to make the food?" Danny grumbled.

"Because if I see one more packet of instant noodles in this kitchen, I'm going to lose it," Vlad said, his expression deadpan. "Knowing how to cook proper food might just be what saves you, Daniel. You can't expect to rely on outside help all the time."

The audacity of this man. "_You do,_" he said in disbelief.

"I'm a busy man, little badger. It's pointless to put in that much effort when it's just for myself," Vlad said shamelessly.

"Oh, you're so full of it!" Danny laughed. "This isn't about helping me. Why don't you just admit that you like bossing me around and having things your way in the kitchen?"

"I would argue that most people like having things their way."

"I think you like it a lot more than most people."

"Touché," Vlad smirked. "But maybe I simply enjoy teaching a neophyte like yourself that it's acceptable to eat foods with more than two colors in it."

Danny rolled his eyes. "I think you enjoy many things to fluff up your own ego, fruitloop."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Vlad said casually. "Perhaps this is all just a disorganized attempt to keep you here because I enjoy your company."

Danny felt himself squirm in embarrassment by Vlad's off-putting honesty, too used to the man delivering sincerity with witty zingers at his expense.

It had become more frequent ever since his slip-up in front of Jolie (which was mortifying), and Danny hadn't wanted to address it since then. Thankfully, Vlad didn't press him on it, but to say nothing had changed would be wrong. Vlad wasn't usually the earnest lip-service type, lately he's been letting a few innocent comments slip by here and there that made Danny pause.

Just yesterday, Vlad casually complimented Danny on his outfit even though it was just a pair of jeans and one of his nicer dress shirts (he forgot to do laundry again). And last week, Vlad said he had fun when they went out into the city to hang out and have lunch.

Was Vlad humoring him? Or have they hit a milestone in their relationship that he totally wasn't aware of? It was hard for Danny to not overthink sometimes when it came to the older man.

Danny was so busy pondering over the possibilities that he sliced the knife right into his finger.

"Fuck!"

"_Daniel!_"

* * *

"Don't be mad."

"It's barely eight in the morning," Vlad said, exasperated. Weekends were for downtime, but leave it to Danny to throw a wrench into his plans. Admittedly, he was just going to do some paperwork, but still.

"Exactly. Don't be mad," Danny repeated, standing in the doorway of Vlad's study with a guilty look on his face.

Vlad regarded him suspiciously. "Why? What did you do?"

"Uh..." Danny stalled. "Okay, so I think we should just do a fun little exercise. I want you to think about the worst thing you did, and how you were treated, and how you _wish_ you were treated."

Vlad decided to entertain him. "Nothing comes to mind, Daniel," he said confidently.

"_...Seriously? _You tried to kill my dad for like, three years."

"It's how adults process their feelings."

"You hit on my mom?"

"You should know how brutal rejection can feel."

"You beat me up _all through high school?_"

"You held your own just fine, if I recall, so I don't know why you're griping," Vlad said and crossed his arms. "Enough, Daniel. _What_ did you do?"

Danny fiddled with something behind his back, hesitant to bring it out but knew there was no way out of this. He held out a lumpy blue fabric, misshapen and sad. Vlad didn't recognize it at first, but then something clicked in his head and he only looked mildly horrified.

Danny tried to make amends. "I'll pay for it," he said quickly.

"Daniel," Vlad said slowly. "This is a five-hundred-dollar cashmere sweater."

"_Jesus_-" Danny sucked in a sharp breath and mentally cried for his minimum wage paycheck. "Life of luxury really knows no bounds."

"I made a lot of money and I enjoy spending it," Vlad defended, examining what was left of his sweater. "I don't remember asking you to do my laundry."

"You didn't. But it was just sitting there so I thought, 'might as well'," Danny shrugged. "How was I supposed to know that one sweater was enough to force me into a life of indentured servitude?"

Vlad fought the urge to burn something. "That's because it's cashmere. You _never_ machine wash cashmere. Don't you ever own anything nice, you brat?"

"My t-shirt came in a pack of five from Costco for twenty-five bucks, so no," Danny retorted. "But I'm really sorry, Vlad. What can I do?"

"Indeed." The gears started turning in Vlad's brain. The boy never owned anything nice, huh. "Well, Daniel, I accept your apology. Since you generously offered to make amends, I happen to have the perfect plan. You can start by accompanying me on a weekend shopping trip into the city," Vlad smiled deviously.

It was Danny's turn to look horrified. "No," he whispered. Clothes shopping was something he hated with a passion. He only shopped whenever he needed more underwear because he was bad at doing his own laundry!

"Yes, Daniel. Window-shopping. Mindless browsing. Waiting endlessly outside fitting rooms," Vlad listed off as he walked away. "I'm sure you can make time, since you _owe_ me now."

"...I regret everything."

* * *

"_Happy birthday!" _

Danny stared at the small gathering of people in Vlad's parlor. He felt a brief panic that his lie got busted, that he hadn't actually been spending his summer with Nick but with Vlad instead. He shot the man a concerned look, but Vlad only winked back, encouraging him to play it cool.

"I-What?" Danny stammered. So much for playing it cool.

"C'mon, son! You don't think we forgot about your birthday, did ya?" Jack said excitedly. "My boy turned nineteen today. You're practically a man!"

"I've been a man for a whole year now, dad," Danny mumbled, but succumbed to his dad's suffocating birthday hug anyway.

"Did you bring Nick with you, honey? We're really excited to finally meet him," Maddie said sweetly and gave a peck on Danny's cheek.

"Um, well..." Danny stuttered. Telling his folks they broke up was off-limits, or else everything would start to unravel. He started panicking again. "Nick is-"

"Unfortunately, Nicholas had a family emergency so he won't be joining us today. Very last minute, I'm afraid. But there's always next year," Vlad lied effortlessly and put a comforting hand on Jack's shoulder.

Jack seemed a bit dismayed. "That's a shame. I didn't even get a chance to say how okay I am with it."

"Okay with what?" Danny asked.

"The whole gay thing!"

"_Dad!_"

The party went off without a hitch after that. Sam and Tucker managed to find time to drop by, most likely on Vlad's personal invitation. Danny ran up to hug his best friends obnoxiously, eager to catch up with them.

"We got to fly on his private jet," Tucker said through a mouthful of cocktail shrimp. "He's got _a private jet_, Danny."

"Tucker, you're embarrassing yourself," Sam said flatly, sipping her beverage slowly. "It wasn't even that big of a plane."

"Aw, is someone jealous?" Danny smirked.

"Hardly," Sam scoffed. "I'm just saying that if you want to impress a Manson, you should at least pull out the big guns. I mean, you've seen what my house can do."

"Oh no, I'm not gonna be the yardstick in this penis-measuring contest for rich people," Danny said and pointed at Tucker. "That's his job."

Tucker stared at the two of them, chewing slowly. "You guys gonna hog all the shrimp?" He said instead.

Ralph and Krystal also made it. Danny found them stumbling out of one of the many bathrooms on the first floor. Their clothes were rumpled and Ralph had Krystal's lipstick stains on his face, and they _wouldn't_ stop giggling. Danny wasn't an idiot; he could put two and two together.

Ralph waved at him. "Dude, we were just-"

"I don't wanna know."

Danny was so happy to see Jazz again that he picked her up and spun her around (he could do that now). He missed her a lot, he realized, and she seemed to be much happier than the last time he saw her. Something about Jazz felt lighter and more carefree. Like how someone her age should be.

"Nothing's stopping you from visiting, you know," Jazz whispered and punched him playfully. "Since _flying_ isn't really a struggle for you."

Danny laughed. "But Cali is so far," he whined. "And somehow I don't feel like you're missing me all that much. _Someone_ hasn't been texting me a lot. What's up with that?"

"Well, I may have met someone," Jazz said quietly.

"What? I was kidding," Danny gaped. "You _serious_?!"

"Keep it down!" She hissed. "I don't know what this is yet, and I don't want our parents to know before I know."

"You're not dating a professor, are you?" Danny teased. "Because it's frowned upon."

Jazz smacked him on the shoulder, but her face just got increasingly red and suddenly Danny didn't find this funny anymore.

"Jazz, I was kidding. Are we not kidding about this?" He asked, growing concerned. "You _can't_ do that."

"No, he's not a professor!" Jazz spluttered defensively. "He _was_ my TA."

"Wow, you really know how to toe the line."

"Shut _up_."

Between the candle blowing and cake cutting, Danny was having a pretty good time. Everyone looked well and happy and together, which was all Danny really wanted for his friends and family. Vlad stayed relatively in the background the whole time, not really mingling with the guests but still courteous enough to make small conversations here and there when he needed to. It was unlike the man to feel so out of his element. Vlad usually loved parties, after all. But perhaps it was the company that made him feel out of place, Danny thought. There was a lot of history (and some bad blood) in the room.

He walked over to the man to keep him company. It was the least he could do.

"Here comes the birthday boy," Vlad smiled from his comfortable position on the couch. He was slowly swirling a glass of wine, drinking to take the edge off.

"You could've at least given me a warning, you know," Danny tried to argue, but he was in such a good mood that his tone lacked bite.

"And ruin the surprise?" Vlad said. "Not likely."

"How did you even know today's my birthday?"

Vlad almost looked affronted. "Daniel, I wouldn't be a good friend if I didn't remember your birthday, especially after all that time we spent together."

"Oh, so we're friends now?" Danny asked innocently. He was obviously teasing again, and Vlad picked up on it immediately.

"Maybe we _should_ stay enemies instead," Vlad grinned. "I always prefer to keep my enemies closer, not my friends."

Danny shook his head. The man was impossible. "Thank you, fruitloop," he said sincerely.

"Always, little badger."

* * *

To be continued...


End file.
